


my prince

by Aranee, justafei



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, And then there's Kyungsoo, Arranged Marriage, Bottom Kim Jongdae | Chen, But its nice and sweet, Byun Baekhyun is Whipped, Chef Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Eventual Smut, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, King Kim Junmyeon | Suho, M/M, Prince Byun Baekhyun, Prince Kim Jongdae | Chen, Romantic Fluff, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Top Byun Baekhyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:40:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23133313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aranee/pseuds/Aranee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/justafei/pseuds/justafei
Summary: Prince Jongdae fears the worst when his hand in marriage is given to quick-tempered, fiercely passionate, easygoing Prince Baekhyun--but he didn't have to worry.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 55
Kudos: 259





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~ If you know my style you know I don't like writing angsty things :( this is somewhat of a slowburn, oneshot-esque fic, with, as usual, tons of fluff and eventual ~sexy~ smut. I loved writing this, and I hope you guys enjoy!  
> -  
> Shoutout to my editor Arane for being fantastic :)

Baekhyun’s eyes flit over his husband as Jongdae hovers nervously at the door, hands unconsciously fiddling with the silk tie of his robe, coming up to pull the thin cloth closer together to cover more skin. 

“Come here,” Baekhyun’s voice rings out through their large bedroom, and Jongdae obeys immediately, shakily crawling onto the bed as Baekhyun gestures to the empty space next to him.  _ The Gentle Prince.  _ Baekhyun remembers what his advisors told him when he found out who his arranged husband was.  _ He’s too soft, too merciful, too innocent.  _ Baekhyun doesn’t mind, even came to like Jongdae’s quiet presence next to him in the few days that they’ve formally been together. On the other hand, Jongdae isn’t too sure what his feelings are towards Baekhyun--the young prince is carefree and easygoing, handling his duties with precision and efficiency so as to return his attention as fast as possible to his less important, but surely more amusing pastimes. 

“What a pair they make,” Jongdae had overheard the murmurs and whispers at their luxurious wedding ceremony. “One’s too gentle to govern firmly, and the other can’t be bothered.” And yet, for some reason, both Baekhyun’s and Jongdae’s families had agreed easily to the arranged marriage--politically driven perhaps? But as far as Jongdae knows, the two kingdoms had hardly been entangled in any schemes. So tonight, as Jongdae slips under Baekhyun’s luxurious 1800-thread, pale blue Egyptian cotton sheets, a safe distance away from his supposed lover, he finds himself pondering what Baekhyun thinks of him and of their marriage. He glances over nervously at Baekhyun and finds him already looking at Jongdae, propped up against the pillows with an indecipherable look on his face. Jongdae freezes like a deer caught in torchlights at Baekhyun’s gaze. 

“Hey,” Baekhyun says softly, a small smile accentuating his handsome features. “Do you think I’m cute?” 

Jongdae isn’t sure if he’s heard correctly. “I--Your Highness?” 

Baekhyun’s smile spreads wider and his eyes crinkle up. “It’s just Baekhyun, please. Do you think I’m cute?” he repeats the question lightly. 

Jongdae studies him seriously before answering the question. Even with the traces of makeup washed off his face, Baekhyun sports a perfectly clear complexion, good proportions, and a chiseled jawline. His lips part naturally into an innocent pout, and his eyes hold no trace of malice as he studies Jongdae. Yes, Jongdae concludes, his husband is quite cute. “I… I think you’re pretty cute.” 

Baekhyun laughs in delight. “You’re cute too, Jongdae. Can I call you Jongdae?” 

“Of course.” 

“Jongdae. You’re very cute. You have such pretty eyes,” Baekhyun compliments, and Jongdae bows his head to hide the flush of his cheeks. Baekhyun is still looking at him when he raises his head again, and he gestures to the bedroom. “What do you think of my father’s place?” 

“I like it,” Jongdae answers shyly. 

“This color?” Baekhyun gestures to the light blue sheets and mahogany bed frame. “I picked it out, I didn’t know what you would like, so I went with something natural.” 

“Whatever you like is fine.” Jongdae is still fiddling with the silk tie of his robe, feeling slightly nervous. Jongdae dreads tonight, knowing that he’s expected to consummate the marriage with his new husband. But even with close advisors and friends, Jongdae blushes whenever the topic is brought up. Sex was something that happened between lovers, Jongdae believed, an act between two people who trusted each other so intimately and loved each other so deeply that they were willing to give everything to each other. And as generous and giving as Jongdae was with the people around him, he’d never felt something so powerful and carnal as lust overtake him. Jongdae had been aware that eventually his own marriage would be arranged at the will of the King and Queen, and although he was grateful that Baekhyun had thus far been kind and respectful to him, his gut clenches at the thought of sharing himself so intimately with the young prince within days of knowing each other. Jongdae knows he has no choice, and really, he just wants to get it over with. 

“Aren’t we supposed to… consummate the marriage?” he asks resignedly in a small voice. 

Baekhyun leans closer and Jongdae tenses up. “You speak so softly,” Baekhyun smiles again. “What was that?” 

“We need to consummate our marriage,” Jongdae says to the thick duvet. 

“Oh, right.” Baekhyun looks surprised and taken aback. He sighs and breathes in deeply, pinching his nose in between his thumb and index finger. When he looks back at Jongdae, his usually playful eyes are serious. “Can I be frank with you, Jongdae?” 

Jongdae nods, peering up at him through his eyelashes. 

“I don’t want to have sex with you tonight.” Baekhyun’s mouth pulls to the side as he says the words. Jongdae doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or offended. “It’s not that I don’t find you attractive,” Baekhyun adds quickly. “Er--I mean--I do think you’re handsome--but it’s not like--ah,” Baekhyun sighs, rumpling up his hair frustratedly. “Let me--” he gestures widely with his hands and turns himself completely towards Jongdae, crossing his legs neatly. “Be patient with me for a second.” Jongdae nods. 

“It’s awkward, right? Sharing a bed, being married, all of this.” Jongdae nods again fervently at Baekhyun’s words. “We’ve only known each other for a few days. I like you, I think you’re cute, I’m really happy that I was paired with you instead of some old asshole.” Here, Baekhyun pauses. “Do you feel the same way?” Jongdae nods again, feeling a glimmer of hope. 

“Okay. I know tradition mandates that we consummate the marriage the day of the wedding, but I--I’m not comfortable with that at all. I don’t want to feel like I’m violating you. Unless you’re into that,” Baekhyun tilts his head with a hint of his usual mischievousness again. Jongdae blushes furiously and laughs slightly. 

“I don’t think I am,” he admits, even joking back a little bit. Baekhyun winks at him. 

“Exactly. So I completely understand if you need time to get used to me. To us. We’ll go slow--as slow as you need. My advisors told me you were shy, and you needed lots of time to adjust to new people and places. I’m not really like that--I’ll fit in anywhere, I’ll talk to anyone. If someone  _ forced  _ me to consummate the marriage tonight, I would do it. But nobody’s forcing us, nobody has to know. And I don’t want to hurt you. I want to get to know you and take care of you. I don’t need sex from you to do that, that’s just not who I am.” Baekhyun looks earnestly at Jongdae, who realizes he’s been holding his breath the whole time. He exhales shakily, feeling all his pent-up tension and worry drain out from him. And then he feels tears well up in his eyes as he starts to cry in relief. Baekhyun’s face twists in a soothing smile as he crawls over to Jongdae’s side of the bed and wipes the tears that cascade down his cheeks. 

“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” Baekhyun is exceedingly gentle with him. “We can still have sex if you want it that much,” he adds jokingly, causing Jongdae to laugh in between hiccups and shake his head in negation.

“Th-th-thank you,” Jongdae chokes out, wiping at his tears with the lined sleeve of his robe. “I--I was dr-dreading it s-so much, and I th-thought you would force me--” 

“Shhhh,” Baekhyun soothes, stroking Jongdae’s soft black locks. “How could you think so low of me, hm?” He teases gently, poking Jongdae’s side and making him smile through teary eyes. Baekhyun laughs with him, showing his good-natured smile. “Don’t cry,” he soothes again. “I told you, we’ll just take it nice and easy. It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you.” 

“Okay,” Jongdae hiccups. “Okay.” 

Baekhyun hesitates. “Do you… want a hug?” He holds his arms out hesitantly, and Jongdae surprises even himself as he leans into Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s arms wrap around Jongdae’s thin waist and he pats Jongdae’s back soothingly. Jongdae’s last tears fall into Baekhyun’s oversized silk nightshirt, and he pulls his head up from Baekhyun’s shoulder. 

“Aish, it’s okay, it’s just a shirt,” Baekhyun reassures him. “I don’t care.” 

“Thank you,” Jongdae says again, voice muffled by silk and cotton. Baekhyun runs a hand through Jongdae’s hair. 

“Okay, okay. You’re tired, right? Let’s go to bed.” Baekhyun slides over, leaving Jongdae plenty of room in the huge bed. 

“Wait,” Jongdae hesitates. Baekhyun looks at him. “I,” Jongdae hesitates. “It’s just... I tend to cling to things.” 

“Oh.” Baekhyun nods. “Do you want a pillow or something? I can get you one--” 

“Could I--you--” Jongdae closes a hand around Baekhyun’s wrist and tugs him back to where he was kneeling, wiping at Jongdae’s tears. “Could you hold me tonight? If--if that’s okay with you,” Jongdae whispers, already having second thoughts as Baekhyun’s face turns surprised. “If it’s weird I can just hug a pillow.” Jongdae feels himself choking up again and swallows hard around the lump in his throat. “I’m homesick,” he murmurs, twisting his hands in his lap. “This is hard.” 

Baekhyun stares at him for a moment longer before plumping up the pillows and sliding down into the sheets. He reaches over to blow the candle out on the nightstand, then pulls Jongdae into his arms without a word. Jongdae fits comfortably in Baekhyun’s embrace, inhaling the subtle fragrance of Baekhyun’s expensive cologne. It’s surprisingly relaxing, and Jongdae finds himself loosening up as Baekhyun tucks the covers in around him.

“If you get uncomfortable, just push me off,” Baekhyun murmurs. “Good night, Jongdae.” 

“Night,” Jongdae whispers, already dozing off. 


	2. chapter 2

Jongdae blearily opens his eyes and sees sunshine streaming into the bedroom, casting a golden light on the dark wood interior. Baekhyun is still curled around him in the exact position they fell asleep in last night, lips slightly parted as he slumbers. Jongdae hesitates, then extracts himself from Baekhyun’s arms, causing Baekhyun to stir. 

“G’morning,” Jongdae whispers as a greeting when Baekhyun’s eyes land on him. Baekhyun yawns and sits up in bed, showcasing his lopsided bedhead. 

“Morning Jongdae. Did you sleep okay?” 

“Yeah.” Jongdae is surprised, he usually never sleeps that well in a new place. “I slept really well.” 

“S’good.” Just then, one of Baekhyun’s servants gently taps on the door and walks in. Baekhyun’s eyes widen slightly as he glances first at Jongdae, unmarked and unblemished from last night, then to the approaching servant who bows his head in the presence of the two royal princes. 

“Leave us,” Baekhyun commands. “I’ll take care of him today.” 

“Your Highness? Of course.” The servants backs out immediately. 

Jongdae’s caught on as well, and suddenly all of his panic from last night rushes back. “Baekhyun, you didn’t mark me--” 

“Shhh. Come here, it’ll be okay.” Baekhyun gently pulls Jongdae out of bed and sits him in a plush chair in front of the giant, floor-length mirror. Baekhyun begins pulling out trays of makeup from the dresser, and Jongdae sits in utter confusion. 

“I’m just gonna--” Baekhyun gently undoes the ribbon of Jongdae’s robe and pushes it slightly off of his shoulders. Jongdae freezes in fear. “Sorry, sorry. This is as low as I need it to be, just hold it here, okay?” 

“What are you doing?” 

“Pretending we did the do.” Baekhyun wiggles his eyebrows at Jongdae mischievously and pinches his thumb and index finger together. “Gonna mark you up just a little bit.” Baekhyun turns Jongdae’s head to the side, exposing the soft white skin of his neck. “Stay still. This is just a primer.” Carefully, skillfully, Baekhyun paints faint, red and purple marks on Jongdae’s neck and collarbones, biting his tongue in concentration as he blends the blush to make it natural. He finishes with a setting spray. 

“This is waterproof, and it stays on through anything. See?” Baekhyun directs Jongdae to look in the mirror as he strokes his thumb firmly over the spot. Jongdae feels his cheeks heat up as he stares at the faux hickeys. 

“You’re talented,” Jongdae stutters. “They--they look so real.” 

“Ah,” Baekhyun rubs a hand on the back of his neck sheepishly. “It’s nothing, I was an artistic kid. Okay.” Baekhyun offers Jongdae his hand gallantly and Jongdae smiles slightly at the cheesiness, letting out a small laugh as Baekhyun twirls him up and off the chair. “Go change and wash up, your servants are waiting for you in your dressing room. They’ll send you back to me, and we’ll head down to breakfast together, okay?” Jongdae nods and pads out of the bedroom, heart feeling as light as a feather. 

\--

Baekhyun tilts his head cheekily as he proffers Jongdae his arm. 

“My father will ask, but let me do the talking. Just be shy, okay?” Jongdae nods, turning up the collar of his robes demurely. They walk down the steps together as the servants trail a respectful distance behind them into the dining hall, where King Junmyeon is already seated with the Queen. Upon entrance, Baekhyun and Jongdae both bow low. 

“You may stand before me.” Junmyeon beckons the two of them forward. “Prince Baekhyun, Prince Jongdae. Is the marriage bound by oath and body?” 

“It is, Your Highness.” Baekhyun gently pulls apart Jongdae’s robe for a glimpse of the red marks before pulling it back in place. Jongdae’s cheeks heat up as he lowers his eyes modestly. 

“Good. Sit,” Junmyeon’s tone turns warm as he gestures to the chairs on his immediate right. Breakfast is mostly eaten in silence, but afterwards, as King Junmyeon raises his hand to dismiss them, he calls out--

“Prince Baekhyun, dismissed. You may do as you wish today, but I request you and your husband’s presence at dinner. Prince Jongdae, please stay a moment.” Jongdae tenses up immediately, Baekhyun’s gentle, reassuring hand across his shoulder doing nothing to comfort him as he bows to his father and exits the hall. 

“Now, then.” Junmyeon turns his piercing, wise eyes towards Jongdae who lowers his towards the white tablecloth. “What do you think of your marriage? Of my son?” 

“I respect Your Highness’ wishes, and am grateful for Prince Baekhyun’s hand-in-marriage,” Jongdae does the best to keep the shaking out of his voice. 

Junmyeon leans forward. “Do you know  _ why  _ your father and I decided to give you to my son?” 

“No, Your Highness.” 

Junmyeon sits back and looks thoughtfully at Jongdae. “My son does well with his tasks when he wants to do them, but he has a quick and fiery temper, and makes poor decisions in times of chaos. But your father has told me you are gentle and kind-hearted, albeit soft-handed even.” Junmyeon’s impassive face flickers with the shadow of a smile. “Indeed, I hope that both of you will one day rule our kingdoms well. Curb Baekhyun’s temper, Prince Jongdae, and teach him duty to his husband and his kingdom. He is fiercely loyal to those that he loves. And learn from him the art of governing with your interests first and foremost.” Junmyeon reaches over and clasps Jongdae’s shoulder warmly. “You needn’t be afraid of me,” he tells Jongdae, who flinched as soon as Junmyeon’s hand had touched him. “I will do my utmost to make you feel at home.” 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Jongdae bows his head again. 

“Dismissed, Prince Jongdae.” 

“Yes, Your Highness.” Jongdae bows low again, but just as he reaches the door, Junmyeon seems to change his mind. 

“Jongdae--” Jongdae whirls around. 

“Was he gentle last night?” Junmyeon raises an eyebrow as Jongdae turns completely red. He can practically feel the steam blowing out of his ears. 

“Yesyourhighness,” Jongdae murmurs, eyes fixed firmly at the gold tips of his shoes. Junmyeon’s booming laugh echoes around the dining hall as he waves Jongdae off. Jongdae runs straight into Baekhyun, who’d been waiting just around the corner of the long corridor. 

“Oh--sorry. Did it go alright?” Baekhyun asks worriedly, looking at Jongdae’s eyes for any semblance of fear. 

“Unghh--” 

“Did he ask you about last night?” Baekhyun raises an eyebrow, noting Jongdae’s furious blush. Jongdae buries his face in his hands and fans himself hurriedly, pressing his lips together tightly in embarrassment.

“You should’ve limped out of the hall.” Baekhyun bursts into laughter as Jongdae opens and closes his mouth in shock. “Don’t be afraid of him, Jongdae. He looks scary but he’s really not.” Baekhyun keeps a comforting hand on Jongdae’s back, eyes crinkled into half-crescents, filled with good-natured mirth. 

“We have the day to ourselves,” he tells Jongdae. “What do you want to do?” 

“Whatever you want,” Jongdae murmurs. 

\--

Days with Baekhyun are peaceful and comfortable as they slowly get used to each other’s presence, as well as individual quirks. Baekhyun quickly realizes that if he can’t find Jongdae, he’s almost always wandering around the palace’s multiple gardens in solitude, reading a book, or just enjoying the fresh air. 

“You like being outdoors, don’t you?” Baekhyun asks one day, and Jongdae nods quietly.

“We have giant grounds, bigger than these even, and I liked taking walks in them, too.” Jongdae’s bottom lip trembles as he folds his hands in his lap. “I’m not unhappy here, but sometimes I miss home.” Under the pretense of wanting privacy, Baekhyun dismisses the servants who trail them at all times and takes Jongdae on a long walk in their winding bonsai garden to keep him company, Jongdae’s hand tucked into Baekhyun’s elbow or laced with Baekhyun’s fingers.

Jongdae finds that his husband is just as carefree and lighthearted as everyone says, always thinking of ways to make Jongdae laugh and delighting in making him smile. At all times, Baekhyun can be seen murmuring intimately into his husband’s ear as they walk closely together, gifting Jongdae with small bouquets of flowers, or perhaps carefully cradling a baby duckling in his hand for Jongdae to coo over as its mother quacks angrily and nips at the hem of Baekhyun’s robes. Slowly, Jongdae begins to look for Baekhyun’s company instead of wandering off to explore on his own, and the elder is always more than happy to put down whatever dull task he’s working on to accompany Jongdae.

At night, Baekhyun closes the double doors to their chamber and holds Jongdae close, but never attempts anything out of line. Most days Jongdae sleeps soundly, but sometimes he tosses and turns restlessly, waking up to cry quietly into a pillow from homesickness. Baekhyun is exceedingly gentle and patient during these nights, patting Jongdae’s back, combing his fingers through Jongdae’s soft, dark hair, whispering words of encouragement in a soothing voice even through grogginess. Sometimes he even sings Jongdae back to sleep as if he were a baby, his clear voice ringing out through the night until Jongdae dozes off in his arms again. Junmyeon’s servants, who often sight the new couple walking around, or are awoken in the middle of the night to Baekhyun’s singing, report these events discretely to the king, whose approval and happiness at the successful pairing spreads like wildfire through the servants. Jongdae flushes shyly when one of his advisors tells them of King Junmyeon’s blessing, and Baekhyun ruffles Jongdae’s hair affectionately. 

“He’s my little da-dae,” Baekhyun quips, winking at Jongdae, and Jongdae feels his cheeks heat up at the pun. Still, Jongdae grows more comfortable with Baekhyun’s hand interlaced with his, and their small, warm embraces. Some days, Jongdae even wants more, but isn’t sure how to approach the older prince, who limits their physical interactions to hand-holding, hugging, and benign cuddles, making good on his promise to take things slow. 

\--

The first time Jongdae sees Baekhyun angry is on behalf of him. As they walk down a corridor one afternoon, two servants round the corner from the opposite side, giggling and talking together, too busy to notice the royal couple walking towards them. As Jongdae and Baekhyun approach the two, Baekhyun lets out a loud cough and the servants drop all conversation to glance up in shock. In their rush to bow, one of them tips their large bowl of water and suddenly Jongdae is gasping as cold liquid soaks his entire body. Baekhyun is on the servant in an instant. 

“You’re fired,” he growls, temper rising before Jongdae can even open his mouth. “You careless churl,” Baekhyun curses the servant who’s cowering against the wall as Baekhyun advances. Her friend offers no consolation. “You’re fucking dead,” Baekhyun spits. “That’s Prince Jongdae. He’s fucking royalty. Can’t you even look where you’re going?” Baekhyun raises his hand to slap the servant, but then Jongdae is there, grabbing onto his wrist. 

“Don’t,” he whispers. Baekhyun is shaking with anger. 

“Let me go, Dae. Let me go, don’t make me shake you off.” 

“No. It’s okay.” 

“It’s NOT!” Baekhyun turns towards the servant again even as Jongdae grips his wrist tighter. “You’re at work, act like you’re doing your fucking job! If I hadn’t coughed, you wouldn’t even have bowed. What kind of disrespectful, careless, ignorant--” 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae pleads. “Baekkie.” Jongdae steels his nerves and places himself directly in between the servant and his husband, speaking in hushed tones, one hand on Baekhyun’s chest as he tries to placate him. 

“She spilled water all over you, you’ll catch a cold--” 

“I am okay. I can change, it was an accident, she didn’t know--” 

“She _ should’ve _ known, careless whore--” 

“Don’t call her that, Baekkie. Just let it go, please. It’s really okay.” Jongdae looks up at Baekhyun beseechingly. “For me,” he whispers. “Baek.” 

“Go,” Jongdae orders over his shoulder to the servant. “Clean this mess up.” He gestures to the puddles of water on the floor. The servant prostrates herself before Jongdae in apology, but Jongdae shakes his head. “Go, before someone slips.” 

“Don’t you dare fucking move,” Baekhyun snarls, and the servant freezes in confusion. Jongdae shakes his head slightly. 

“Calm down,” Jongdae implores, reaching up to cup Baekhyun’s cheek. “I’m okay, I told you.” 

“She still fucked up, she has to face the consequences. If you’re too soft on your servants, they’ll know it’s okay to slip up.” 

“She has never made a mistake up until now, and her intentions weren’t evil.” Jongdae glances behind his shoulder again. “She is a good person. Don’t fire her,” Jongdae defends. “For me, Baekkie. Please.” Baekhyun looks down into Jongdae’s nervous but brave expression, brows furrowed together, staring up at him supplicatingly. His resolve crumbles. 

“Didn’t you hear him? He said clean your fucking mess up.” Baekhyun turns on the servant in a whirl of robes, pulling Jongdae after him by the wrist. 

“Yah!” Baekhyun barks at her friend, who stands dumbly in the hall. “Get him a fucking towel.” She jumps and runs off quickly. “Fucking useless,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath as he slips his own cape off from around his shoulders and wraps it tightly around Jongdae, who is starting to shiver. 

“I’m going to take this off,” he tells Jongdae, pulling at the sash of his soaking wet robe. “You’ll catch a cold. Is that okay?” Jongdae nods, clutching Baekhyun’s cape around himself as Baekhyun gently tugs Jongdae’s robes off discreetly and discards them on the floor. The servant returns with a towel and Baekhyun snatches it from her.

“Leave,” he snarls as the servant moves forward timidly to help Jongdae. Baekhyun marches Jongdae up to their chamber and sits him down on the fur rug. Jongdae obediently stays still as Baekhyun fusses over him, pulling a thick blanket from their bed and draping it around Jongdae, then carefully drying his hair with the towel. 

“Y-you’re n-not mad at me, are you?” Jongdae’s teeth chatter as he clutches the blanket around him. 

“I’m not.” Baekhyun’s response is short. “But I should be.” 

Jongdae falls silent, then speaks up again. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” Baekhyun replies grudgingly. He reaches for a comb and meticulously runs it through Jongdae’s dark locks, with more care than his best servants do. “You’re so gentle,” he remarks as Jongdae melts into Baekhyun’s soft touch. “So forgiving.” 

“I don’t like fights,” Jongdae murmurs as Baekhyun rummages through his closet for a shirt. 

“I… er… I can… do you want me to…?” Baekhyun voice trails off questioningly as he realizes Jongdae’s upper body is entirely naked, covered only by his cape and blanket. 

“You can,” Jongdae whispers, blushing slightly. Baekhyun kneels in front of him and Jongdae lets the blanket go. With soft, soothing hands, Baekhyun dresses the smaller prince in his own shirt, staying as far away from direct skin contact as possible. Jongdae’s arms are lightly toned with thick muscles, and his stomach and waist are invitingly smooth and white. As Jongdae breathes, his well-defined pecs rise and fall with his heartbeat, and his nipples are hard from being exposed to the cold air. Baekhyun swallows and gently buttons up the shirt, smoothing down the collar carefully. He sits back after he’s finished. 

“Thank you,” Jongdae breathes. Baekhyun stands up and offers him a hand. As Jongdae stands up, he walks towards Baekhyun in request for a hug. Baekhyun looks uncomfortable as he embraces Jongdae lightly, moving his hips back, but Jongdae still feels the hard bulge poke at his lower stomach as he pulls flush to Baekhyun. Jongdae stands stock still as Baekhyun immediately pulls away. 

“I’m sorry, Jongdae. It’ll go away in a minute, I’m sorry.” Baekhyun looks truly repentant. Jongdae hesitates for only a minute before stepping towards Baekhyun again and looking up into his eyes. Somewhere outside, a bird chirps happily. 

“Will… will you kiss me?” Jongdae asks shyly. Baekhyun looks like a fish out of water at Jongdae’s small request. 

“Are you okay with that?” Baekhyun asks breathlessly. Jongdae nods, and Baekhyun reaches down, cupping Jongdae’s cheek with his hand. Jongdae curls into the touch as Baekhyun draws closer, before pulling back and glancing at Jongdae to make sure he’s still okay. 

“Are you teasing me?” Jongdae asks as Baekhyun stands still even after he nods. Baekhyun’s face shows a hint of his playful grin. 

“Perhaps.” He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to Jongdae’s forehead, then pulls back softly, stroking Jongdae’s hair again. “Was that okay?” 

“Yes,” Jongdae whispers as a blush rises into his cheeks. “Can we go watch the sunset?” 

“Anything,” Baekhyun promises. He spends the rest of the day with Jongdae curled up innocently against his shoulder on a blanket out on the lawn, watching the sun go down. But in the washing room that night, Baekhyun cums hard to the image of Jongdae’s smooth, white skin, littered with red and purple bruises from behind his closed eyelids. 

“Fuck,” he curses as the sticky white fluid flows down the drain along with the sweet-smelling bubbles. “Fuck.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come~ Hope you guys liked the update! Really love all the nice comments and kudos, they make me so happy ^_^ Thank you thank you thank you <3  
> -  
> Arane is the bestest, editing this so fast~ Both of us are super encouraged by the feedback; we really appreciate the support :)


	3. chapter 3

Jongdae knocks quietly on the wooden door of Baekhyun’s study before letting himself in. Baekhyun’s head jerks up in annoyance. 

“Who the  _ fuck  _ are you to just waltz in—oh, I’m so sorry, Dae,” Baekhyun’s tone switches from irritated to apologetic as Jongdae’s eyes widen in hurt. “I didn’t know it was you. Come here.” Baekhyun beckons to Jongdae eagerly. He pulls Jongdae onto his lap and Jongdae blushes but leans against him shyly as Baekhyun resumes his work with Jongdae nestled into his side. 

“What are you doing?” Jongdae murmurs after a while, twisting his head to look at Baekhyun’s neat handwriting. 

“Just drafting the weekly report for the kingdom,” Baekhyun replies, scratching his head. “It doesn’t take long but it’s dull work.” 

“Do you want help?” 

“Thank you, Dae, but I’m almost done anyways. Did you need something?” Baekhyun looks at Jongdae questioningly, closing his hand around Jongdae’s small one. “Anything you want is yours,” he promises. 

“I just--I came to see you.” Jongdae flushes pink as Baekhyun claps a hand over his mouth, pretending to be shocked. 

“Me? Really? Omo, how did I deserve this honor?” Baekhyun looks bewilderedly around the room before fanning himself in mock embarrassment. Jongdae giggles in amusement on Baekhyun’s lap as his husband keeps up the ridiculous act. “Prince Jongdae came to visit  _ me _ ?” He points at himself, eyes wide and comical before breaking into his signature smile and pulling Jongdae closer. “So cute, Jongdae,” he coos. Jongdae’s heart flutters as he leans his head against Baekhyun’s broad chest, blushing even more when Baekhyun brushes a light kiss on his fringe of bangs. “You’re very sweet.” 

“Do you want something to… to eat? Or maybe take a break?” Jongdae asks shyly, playing with the sash of his robe, as is his habit. 

“I’m good, I’ll just finish this quickly. Oh! I have a present for you,” Baekhyun rummages around his drawers. “Where did I put it… Ah! Here.” Baekhyun produces a plain box and hands it to Jongdae. 

“For me?” Jongdae murmurs, accepting the box. 

“No, not for you, it’s for the dust bunnies,” Baekhyun teases. “Open it,” he encourages. 

Inside, Jongdae finds a small, peculiar leather-covered journal with loose sheets of wax paper tucked in between the pages. The pages are made out of thick paper with small clear pockets taking up about half of each page, as if it’s supposed to be filled up with photos. Jongdae also finds a simple ink pen and silver scissors in the box. He looks up at Baekhyun confusedly. 

“You’ve never seen one before?” Baekhyun asks, and Jongdae shakes his head. Baekhyun picks up the journal and opens it. 

“The wax sheets are for pressing,” he tells Jongdae. “You can borrow one of my heavy books, I’ll show you how to do it later. It’s a botanical journal--you can clip pretty leaves or stems from the gardens, or pull petals off of flowers and press them dry with the wax sheets. After they’re dry, you put them in here--” Baekhyun taps a clear plastic pocket--”and label it on the free space below. Fill it up with pretty things, Jongdae. I thought you would like it.” He watches Jongdae carefully as Jongdae trails his fingertips over the journal in delight. 

“Thank you,” he tells Baekhyun shyly, throwing his arms around Baekhyun’s neck and squeezing tightly. “I love it.” Baekhyun chuckles as he pats Jongdae’s back gently. 

“I will take you out in the afternoon to the new garden, okay?” He asks, and Jongdae nods eagerly. 

“Thank you, Baek,” Jongdae murmurs again. 

“Is that all the thanks I get?” Baekhyun looks at him teasingly. “I went through so much trouble to get this, Jongdae-ah,” he adds, tapping the journal and pouting at Jongdae. “Your husband thinks about you all the time, won’t you give him something sweet?” He tilts his head and taps his cheek. Jongdae blushes but presses a shy kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek, making him smile even wider. 

“There we go. So cute, Jongdae,” he muses, lightly tapping Jongdae’s nose. “I--” He seems to catch himself, furrowing his brows as he stares at Jongdae’s lips. For a second, Jongdae swears Baekhyun is about to lean in, but then Baekhyun looks back up into his eyes again. 

“Run along now,” Baekhyun murmurs gently. “I need to finish this.” Jongdae nods and stands up, clutching the box to his chest. Before he leaves though, he drops one more quick peck on Baekhyun’s cheek, surprising the elder as he pads out of the room. When he reaches the door, Jongdae looks over his shoulder to see Baekhyun cupping his cheek in astonishment, staring at Jongdae’s retreating figure. 

“Two?” Baekhyun mouths, a wide smile illuminating his features. He fakes passing out in his chair, throwing a hand over his forehead dramatically. “It’s too much, Jongdae-ah,” Baekhyun groans. Jongdae claps a hand over his mouth, giggling embarrassedly as he gently closes the door on his way out. 

\--

In the afternoon, before his scheduled date with Baekhyun, Jongdae drops by the kitchen to visit Kyungsoo, who’s busy experimenting with pastries as Jongdae walks in. 

“Prince Jongdae,” Kyungsoo bows before turning back to his chocolate cream. “Can I help you?” 

“I told you, you don’t have to address me so formally,” Jongdae whines, leaning against the counter. “You’re my only friend.” 

“There’s still a difference in rank, and your husband wouldn’t agree with me treating you with such casualness,” Kyungsoo wipes the sweat off of his forehead with the white cuff of his shirt. “Did you want something?” 

“Just--can I get a couple of those?” He nods at the sugary pastry shells filled with chocolate cream. “I want to give some to Baek.” 

“Of course.” Kyungsoo reaches for a clean linen cloth and a small basket. “How are you adjusting to him, by the way?” 

“He’s sweet. I think he likes me a lot.” 

“You  _ think _ ?” Kyungsoo snorts. “Are you blind? He looks at you like you’re the air he breathes.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes as he fills another shell. 

“But he won’t kiss me,” Jongdae murmurs, fiddling with his robe again. 

“What about that first night?” Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. 

Jongdae blushes a deep red. “He--we agreed to take it slow after that, and he hasn’t… we haven’t…” 

“Haven’t done it since? And he hasn’t even kissed you?” 

“Not--not--” Jongdae stammers. “Not on the lips.” 

Kyungsoo focuses his attention on another tray of pastries, hissing in annoyance and pulling his hand back when he realizes it’s too hot. “You ever ask him why?”

“M’shy.” 

“Well then, isn’t that the problem?” Kyungsoo laughs. “As much of an  _ asshole  _ His Highness can be, ever since he’s been married, I’ve never seen him act so gently towards someone. Sorry, by the way. Don’t tell him I called him an asshole.” Jongdae smiles slightly. “But anyways, you have to tell him that it’s okay not to treat you like a glass doll anymore--you like him too, right?” 

Jongdae licks his lips delicately. “Yeah,” he admits. “I like him a lot.” 

“So tell him that. And it’s okay if you make the first move. Trust me, the man is fucking whipped.” 

Jongdae tilts his head in confusion. “What is  _ whipped? _ ” 

“Like this.” Kyungsoo holds up an empty pastry shell. “This is his heart.” He fills it to the brim with a generous amount of chocolate. “And this is how much of it he’s willing to give to you. You have him wrapped around your finger, Prince Jongdae. He’d find a way to give you the moon if you asked for it.” Kyungsoo places the dessert carefully into the linen-clad basket and hands it to Jongdae. “You want some strawberries, too?” Jongdae nods eagerly and Kyungsoo reaches into his storage room for a bag. “There you go. Have fun Pri--Jongdae.” He offers Jongdae an encouraging smile before turning back to the oven. 

\--

After Kyungsoo pointed it out, Jongdae acutely feels Baekhyun’s stare as he flits around the garden, clipping stems and leaves to fill up his journal with. Baekhyun smiles indulgently as Jongdae returns back to his side to drop his stems into Baekhyun’s bag. 

“What’s the basket for?” Baekhyun asks, motioning to it in Jongdae’s hand. 

“I brought something for you. Can we--can we go to the hill?” Jongdae asks. Baekhyun immediately intertwines their fingers and pulls Jongdae to the highest point of their grounds. From this vantage point, Jongdae can see all of the gray stone palace and the neatly kept grounds that surround them. Baekhyun fishes for a blanket from his bag and spreads it out on the grass, then pulls Jongdae into his arms, sheltering him from the blustery spring wind. Jongdae fishes around and brings out the pastries and bag of strawberries. 

“For you,” Jongdae says, bringing the pastry up to Baekhyun’s lips shyly. Baekhyun looks beside himself, at a complete loss of words as he obediently takes a bite. 

“S’good,” Baekhyun mumbles around a mouthful of pastry, and Jongdae brushes the stray crumbs from Baekhyun’s chin. “Come here, Dae.” He gently feeds Jongdae as well, swiping his thumb over Jongdae’s lips to catch the chocolate cream. Jongdae freezes at the sensation and Baekhyun must notice, because he pulls back. 

“Sorry.” 

Jongdae swallows. “No, it’s... it’s fine.” He takes a deep breath, remembering what Kyungsoo said.  _ Tell him that it’s okay not to treat you like a glass doll.  _ “I like you,” he tells Baekhyun shyly. 

“I’m aware.” Baekhyun looks at him, puzzled. “What’s this about, Dae?” 

“Er--I--” Jongdae stammers. “I like you a lot, and… I’m more--more used to you now, so… so you don’t have to--to be--” Jongdae breaks off anxiously, but Baekhyun seems to understand what he was trying to get at. 

“I don’t want to scare you off, Jongdae,” Baekhyun tells him, rubbing circles around Jongdae’s cheek with his thumb. “There are a lot of things that I don’t think you’re ready for. And I told you--we can go as slow as you need. I’m not in a rush.” 

“I know, but… I--I just wanted a kiss.” Jongdae blurts out, then promptly buries his face into Baekhyun’s silk robes. He feels Baekhyun’s low chuckle in his chest as he gently takes Jongdae’s face between his hands and brings him up from where Jongdae is hiding in his shoulder. 

“I kiss you all the time now,” Baekhyun murmurs, pressing a gentle one to Jongdae’s forehead. He’s so close that Jongdae can count the individual eyelashes framing his hooded, sensual eyes as he looks down at Jongdae with restrained want. 

“No,” Jongdae closes his eyes and swallows as he tries to explain. “I meant--” 

“Shhh,” Baekhyun presses a finger to Jongdae’s lips. “I know.” He leans forward and gently slots his lips against Jongdae’s soft ones. Jongdae melts into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s neck as the elder slides his hands down to Jongdae’s waist and pulls him even closer. Baekhyun kisses sweetly and passionately, as if Jongdae is the only person he needs in this world. When he gently flicks his tongue against Jongdae’s lips to request access, the younger prince opens his mouth obediently. Baekhyun dives in, tasting chocolate as he trails his tongue lightly across Jongdae’s teeth and swirls it expertly with Jongdae’s tongue, causing Jongdae to whimper. The submissive noise sends a jolt of arousal straight to Baekhyun’s navel and he twists a hand into Jongdae’s dark locks, pressing him closer as he kisses his small, handsome prince so reverently that Jongdae sees stars. When they finally break apart, Jongdae’s pupils are dilated with, for the first time ever, desire for something far more carnal. 

“Was that what you meant?” Baekhyun smirks knowingly as Jongdae pants for breath. 

“More,” Jongdae begs. Baekhyun presses his lips to Jongdae’s again for a sweet peck. 

“Let’s take things slow, my little Dae,” Baekhyun murmurs, stroking Jongdae’s hair. “One step at a time.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here's the new update~ Really hope you guys like it so far! Thank you for all your nice comments thus far, they've really encouraged me as I keep writing this :3 Will update soon <3   
> -  
> EXCITING NEWS~ Arane (my ever-patient, very efficient editor) finally, FINALLY got an AO3 account so she can reply to all your comments as well, so please go shower all your love on her like you do for me because without her my writing would disintegrate into a pile of... I dunno... diction and endless repetition and commas in strange places? Yes. I have linked her account below, so if you see her or my replies on your comments, send her a heart or something ;) Thank you guys as always!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aranee


	4. chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few weeks later

Baekhyun trails his fingers across the dried flower petals, neatly sandwiched in between the pages of a book with wax paper before calling out to the servant behind the door. “Yah. Where’s Jongdae?” Baekhyun asks. “Tell him to come here.” 

“Certainly, Your Highness.” 

\--

Jongdae leans against the kitchen counter with a cup of green tea in his hands, chattering away to Kyungsoo who keeps his eyes on stirring the pot, but nods every so often to indicate his attentiveness. 

“How are you and Prince Baekhyun doing?” Kyungsoo asks after a while. Jongdae takes a sip of tea before answering. 

“I like him a lot, but I don’t know… how to explain how I feel when I’m with him,” Jongdae tells Kyungsoo shyly. “He makes me really happy and I feel safe when I’m with him. I’m not even homesick anymore.” 

“Hmm.” Kyungsoo’s face twists into an indecipherable expression. “There’s a name for what you’re feeling, but I won’t tell you.” 

“What is it?” Jongdae begs. 

“It’s a very easy word, Jongdae, but it has a lot of strings attatched to it.” Kyungsoo smiles.

Jongdae furrows his brows together. “Love? I don’t know about that.” 

“Exactly.” Kyungsoo points a spatula at Jongdae. “You don’t have to know. Each to his own.” 

Jongdae puts down his mug. “Have you ever been in love, Soo?” Kyungsoo startles in surprise at the question. 

“Yes,” comes his short reply. Jongdae leans forward excitedly. 

“What did it feel like?” 

Kyungsoo sighs a small, quiet sigh that only he can hear. “Like that feeling you get in your stomach when you drink your first sip of warm tea, Jongdae. But it’s all the time. Whenever you’re with them.” 

“Then what happened? Why aren’t you married yet?” 

Kyungsoo turns away. “She’s dead.” 

Jongdae falls silent. “I’m really sorry, Kyungsoo.” 

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago. I’m happy here.” Kyungsoo walks past him to the storage room, gently patting Jongdae on the shoulder as he passes. He reaches for a bundle of grapes just as one of Baekhyun’s servants walks in. 

“Prince Jongdae? Your husband requests your presence in his study.” The servant bows low. Jongdae looks up in surprise. 

“Ah, okay. Just a minute.” He turns back to Kyungsoo, who’s now washing the grapes carefully and places them in a porcelain bowl for Jongdae. 

“Take these up to share, Jongdae.” Kyungsoo gives him a wry smile, regret and amusement flicking in his eyes. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve lived well all these years, haven’t I?” He gives Jongdae an affectionate pat on the head. 

“Do you think Baekhyun is in love?” Jongdae asks Kyungsoo, accepting the bowl. 

Kyungsoo only smiles mysteriously. 

\--

A few minutes later, Jongdae shyly walks into Baekhyun’s study and sets the bowl down on the desk. Baekhyun looks up and smiles. 

“They’re dried now,” he tells Jongdae, watching the way his little prince’s eyes light up in excitement. “Careful. Come here.” Baekhyun makes space for Jongdae on his desk, pulling him onto his lap. “Put them in your journal.” He keeps a hand on Jongdae’s waist, holding him tightly as Jongdae carefully places the various leaves and petals into his notebook and labels them, ruffling through the pages when he’s finished. 

“M’done,” Jongdae tells Baekhyun with a satisfied smile. “It’s so pretty.” 

“So are you.” Baekhyun reaches up to drop a kiss on Jongdae’s lips, the younger blushing happily. “What are you up to today, hmm?” 

“I was in the kitchen.” 

“The kitchen?” Baekhyun asks incredulously. 

Jongdae nods. “Talking to Kyungsoo.” 

Baekhyun blinks a few times in surprise. “You talk to Kyungsoo?” 

“He’s a good friend, and gives me advice.” 

“What kind of advice do you need?” Baekhyun pets Jongdae’s waist gently as he questions him. Jongdae reaches for a grape and pushes it in between Baekhyun’s lips. Baekhyun accepts it but doesn’t let the topic drop. 

“It’s trivial, I suppose. I just want someone to talk to, because I don’t want to bother you all the time.” Jongdae obediently allows Baekhyun to feed him as well. 

“Anything I should know? Anything on my little prince’s mind?” Jongdae hesitates, but shakes his head. 

“Not really.” 

\--

At dinner, unbeknownst to Jongdae and Baekhyun, King Junmyeon doesn’t miss the way Baekhyun’s hands remain tightly intertwined with Jongdae’s as they finish their meal, talking quietly with their heads close together. Kyungsoo comes up, as usual, and Jongdae waves at him excitedly as he bows low in the presence of the royal family. 

“How was dinner tonight, Your Majesty?” 

“Fantastic as usual, Kyungsoo. Thank you very much.” Junmyeon smiles at him warmly.

“Would you care for dessert?” Kyungsoo asks. Junmyeon declines, but Baekhyun looks at Jongdae. 

“I have a mango-basil Vacherin, if that would please Your Highness?” Kyungsoo turns towards the young couple. 

“Sure,” Jongdae nods eagerly. 

“Prince Baekhyun, Prince Jongdae,” Junmyeon begins as Kyungsoo leaves, and both turn to look at the king. “Are you two getting along well?” 

“Yes, father.” Baekhyun’s eyes sparkle as he glances at Jongdae. 

“Really? No secret arguments? You two are still happy with the arrangement?” Baekhyun opens his mouth to reply, but Junmyeon nods slightly to Jongdae. 

“I’m happy,” Jongdae murmurs, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I’m not even homesick anymore, Your Majesty.” 

“That’s good to hear, Prince Jongdae. The servants tell me that you’re very kind to them, and I see the castle is well-run. You’re doing very well.” Junmyeon clasps his shoulder and Jongdae lowers his head in recognition of the praise as Kyungsoo returns with two plates of meringue and ice cream. Baekhyun immediately spoons up a small portion and offers it to Jongdae, who blushes even redder at the idea of being fed in front of so many servants and the royal family, but obediently opens his mouth. 

“It’s really good, Kyungsoo,” Jongdae mumbles as Baekhyun wipes at the corner of the younger’s mouth with a napkin. Kyungsoo bows, but his eyes flick towards King Junmyeon, whom he exchanges a quiet, knowing glance with. It goes unnoticed by Jongdae, whose attention is back to Baekhyun. 

\--

“Psst. Jongdae.” The silhouette of Jongdae’s head pops up from the mountain of blankets and soft pillows, and he inches closer to Baekhyun’s propped up figure. “Come here, sweetheart.” Jongdae sighs contentedly as he crawls into Baekhyun’s arms in the darkened bedroom, breathing in the comforting scent of Baekhyun’s cologne. One hand curls gently into the folds of Baekhyun’s robes right where the elder’s heart beats as he leans his head against Baekhyun’s broad shoulders. Baekhyun kisses his forehead gently before dropping a longer one onto Jongdae’s lips. Jongdae whines as he pulls away, but Baekhyun shushes him quietly. 

“Do you want to go on a little midnight adventure? I can’t sleep.” Jongdae nods in excitement, so Baekhyun quickly pulls him out of bed, prompting him to slide his slippers on. Outside in the candlelit hall, Baekhyun drapes one of his long, thick cloaks over Jongdae’s shoulders, securing the button at his throat and drawing the hood up to frame Jongdae’s thin face. He throws another one over his own shoulders before grasping Jongdae’s hands and leading him to the grand central staircase. 

“I can walk on my own, Baekkie,” Jongdae giggles quietly as Baekhyun picks him up, bridal style, and carries him down the stairs. 

“Don’t want you to trip, my cloak is too long on you. Come on.” They wind up outside, where the full moon is shining onto the vast grounds. Jongdae pulls his cloak tighter around him as Baekhyun pulls him to the large, grassy area just a few yards away from the side of the castle, flopping down onto the neatly-trimmed grass. Jongdae sits down beside him, pulling his knees up to his chest, and gazes up at the night sky. 

Baekhyunnie, that’s Orion’s belt.” He points at the series of three little stars in a row. “Do you know constellations?” 

“Of course I do.” 

“Which one’s the North Star?” 

“Hmmm…” Baekhyun turns to look at Jongdae. “Right here.” Jongdae squeals as Baekhyun pokes his side. “Because you’re the brightest, most beautiful star.” Jongdae blushes and shakes his head. Baekhyun sits up, eyes filled with mirth. “You _are._ ” Jongdae’s laugh bubbles up from his throat as he gets up and runs away from Baekhyun when he attempts to poke Jongdae again, dashing around the grassy area as Baekhyun chases him in circles like schoolchildren on a playground. When Baekhyun finally catches him, both of them breathless from running, he wraps his arms around Jongdae and pulls him down onto the ground, tickling his sides as Jongdae shrieks with laughter. 

“Shhh, shhh, we’re gonna wake the castle up,” Baekhyun’s face is lit up with his contagious smile. Jongdae smiles back, but his eyes are on Baekhyun’s soft lips. He turns his face demurely so that the moonlight shines onto his cheek, and Baekhyun rises to the bait, pressing into Jongdae, hands reaching up to cup Jongdae’s face and card through his hair gently as he slips his tongue into Jongdae’s mouth and laves at the young prince. Jongdae tastes sweet, like honey and nectar, and when Baekhyun tongues at the sensitive roof of Jongdae’s mouth, Jongdae gasps and kisses back, shy and uncertain. Jongdae feels Baekhyun’s mouth stretch into a smile as Jongdae gently tongues at his bottom lip. 

“That’s it,” Baekhyun breathes. “That’s my Dae.” He allows Jongdae to explore, patiently letting Jongdae lap at his bottom lip before a soft moan escapes from him as their tongues intertwine. When they break apart, Jongdae’s half-hard erection presses Baekhyun’s lower stomach, and Baekhyun has to fight for his self-control again as he stares into Jongdae’s dilated pupils. 

“You have the prettiest brown eyes, sweetheart,” he tells Jongdae, dropping a gentle kiss on the soft, pliant skin just below his eyes. “You’re so handsome. My little handsome prince.” He kisses Jongdae’s nose.

“Baekkie?” Jongdae asks softly, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s waist. “What does it feel like to… to be in love?” 

Baekhyun laughs, rolling off of Jongdae and sitting down with his legs spread out. Jongdae crawls to fold himself neatly in between Baekhyun’s legs, and Baekhyun wraps his arms around him, drawing his hood up again to shield him from the cool April night. “Are you in love, sweetheart?” 

“Kyungsoo said I might be.” 

“Did he really?” Baekhyun nuzzles his head into Jongdae’s shoulder. 

“Are you in love?” Jongdae twists his head to look up at Baekhyun. Baekhyun hesitates, and his voice trembles as he says his next words. 

“I am in love, Jongdae.” 

“With me?” 

“No, with Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun utters a short laugh. “Of course it’s you, my Jongdae-ah.” 

Jongdae is silent for a minute. “How does it feel?”

Baekhyun balks at the question for a second, then tips Jongdae’s face towards his, leaning in for another deep kiss. Jongdae melts into his touch as Baekhyun lightly sucks on Jongdae’s lower lip and swirls his tongue in Jongdae’s mouth. 

“How did that make you feel?” Baekhyun whispers. Jongdae furrows his brows as Baekhyun traces his fingertips gently around Jongdae’s thin waist. 

“I liked it. I don’t know how to describe it. Shy, and also… like I want more.” Jongdae’s answers are simple and clear as he tries to work his feelings out.

“How do I make you feel?” Baekhyun murmurs into his ear.

Jongdae ponders for a moment. “Safe,” he clasps his hands over Baekhyun’s, which are wrapped around his waist. “Happy.” 

Baekhyun drops a kiss onto the top of Jongdae’s head. “Sounds like love to me.” Jongdae looks up at him adoringly, as if Baekhyun holds all the answers to the great questions of the universe. “Okay then.” 

Baekhyun smiles down at him, then points to the night sky. “Look at that one. That bright, big star. Do you know what that is?” 

“The North Star.” 

“Wrong. That’s you.” 

“ _Stoooop!_ ” 

From his balcony, King Junmyeon looks down at the two princes, wrapped in each other’s embraces, giggling quietly to each other in their own world. His advisor stands slightly behind him. 

“Your Majesty, shall I…?” 

“No.” Junmyeon turns away, a small smile on his face. “Let them be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked the update~ I got stuck in a bit of a slump for the past few days as I couldn’t figure out where I wanted to take the story, but I think I’m good now :) Arane also threw a bunch of ideas around which was a big help ♥︎  
> Since I have nothing to do these days I’ve been writing so much, hopefully I’ll post another update soon! Much love for all the support ♥︎♥︎♥︎


	5. chapter 5

“Keep it straight,” Baekhyun murmurs, standing behind Jongdae and placing his hands over Jongdae’s, which are wrapped around the bow. “You’re tilting up, keep it focused right on the target.” Jongdae closes one eye and presses his cheek next to the bowstring before letting the arrow fly. It sails through the air and lands with a dull  _ thunk  _ in the tree, a few inches away from the thick notch that he was aiming for. 

“Closer,” Baekhyun encourages. “You’re getting better.” 

“Ah, I’ll never go hunting anyways. This is just fun.” Jongdae pulls another arrow from the pack on his back and strings it onto his bow. He aims carelessly, but this time the arrow hits his target. “Oh!” Jongdae looks surprised. Baekhyun glances up at Jongdae, then at the arrow sunken into the middle of the old tree. 

“Nice, Jongdae.” Baekhyun claps for him as Jongdae beams. Baekhyun’s never seen a more beautiful sight as he stares at Jongdae, his little prince’s dark hair turning golden-brown as he stands in a patch of sunlight, the shadows of the thick canopy above their heads dancing across his face to speckle his pale complexion. Handsome and regal in his dark blue robes, Jongdae turns to look at Baekhyun with a happy smile. The leaves under Baekhyun’s feet crackle as he makes his way to his husband, sliding his hands around Jongdae’s waist and embracing him. 

“You’re so handsome,” Baekhyun murmurs. Jongdae turns his face up towards Baekhyun in contentment, and Baekhyun’s heart swells with happiness. 

“One, two, up!--” Jongdae’s laugh bubbles up from his throat when Baekhyun lifts him off his feet easily as their lips connect. Jongdae’s arms come up to drape around Baekhyun’s neck, holding on tightly to his shoulders as Baekhyun spins him around in the small clearing. 

“I thought we were supposed to practice shooting,” Jongdae remarks, but his hands don’t move from around Baekhyun even as the elder sets him down on his feet again. 

“We are practicing shooting.” Baekhyun backs away a couple of feet and pretends to string an arrow onto an imaginary bow, aiming straight at Jongdae. “And…  _ pew! _ ” Baekhyun’s hand cuts an arc through the air to land on Jongdae’s waist, pulling him in as he closes the distance between his lips and Jongdae’s. “It’s the love shot.” Baekhyun winks as Jongdae cracks up in the middle of the woods. 

“I wanna watch you shoot, Baekkie,” Jongdae requests, motioning to the row of trees which stand conveniently a few feet apart from each other. “What’s your success rate?” 

“About nine out of ten.” Baekhyun retrieves his bow from the ground and moves to the first tree. Quickly, expertly, Baekhyun’s arrows fly through the air one by one and land precisely where Baekhyun intends them to go while Jongdae watches with wide eyes. “Well, I guess it’s ten out of ten today.” Baekhyun surveys his work proudly as Jongdae comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Baekhyun shyly. “Say it, sweetheart,” Baekhyun requests, turning around to face his prince. Jongdae blushes, but Baekhyun stares intently into his eyes, as if searching for how much of Jongdae’s heart is dedicated to him. “Say it,” Baekhyun whispers, voice full of hope. “I want to hear it.” 

“I love you.” 

\--

On their way back to the castle, Baekhyun whistles happily as they pick their path through the forest, Jongdae clutching onto his arm tightly. 

“Oh!” Jongdae stumbles as his ankle gets caught on a hidden tree root, pulling Baekhyun down with him. “Shit,” Jongdae curses as they land in a heap on the forest floor. 

“You okay?” comes an amused voice from under him, and Jongdae looks down to see half of his body sprawled on top of Baekhyun, who is lying spread-eagled on his back, craning his neck to smirk at Jongdae. Jongdae feels his cheeks heat up at the compromising position. 

“Sorry!” Jongdae squeaks, trying to scramble to his feet, but a hand around his back keeps him from doing so. Baekhyun presses him closer and whispers hotly in his ear. 

“If you wanted me that badly sweetheart, you could’ve just asked.” He chuckles lowly, ignoring Jongdae’s violent blush, and pulls him in for a sweeping kiss. Jongdae makes a small noise of surprise but it dies in his throat as Baekhyun mouths at his lips fervently, making Jongdae dizzy with the small beginnings of lust. Jongdae melts into Baekhyun as he begins to lick into Jongdae’s mouth teasingly--

“Ahem.” Baekhyun breaks away as the couple look up to see the figure of King Junmyeon standing over them, along with one of his servants trailing behind him. Jongdae promptly buries his face into Baekhyun’s shoulder, too embarrassed to even look at him, but Baekhyun only pulls both of them to their feet and bows as best as he can while holding his mortified husband close to his chest.

“Your Majesty.” Baekhyun fights back a laugh at his father’s impassive expression, as if delicately trying to decide what to make of the situation. “We finished practice, father.” 

“I can tell.” Junmyeon sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose much like Baekhyun does whenever he gets frustrated. Jongdae peeks out of the folds of Baekhyun’s robes to offer a bow, but doesn’t straighten back up, instead bending at a 90 degree angle. Junmyeon places a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder to gently push him back to standing. Jongdae flinches and looks down at his shoes. 

“You two…I… uhh…” Junmyeon inhales deeply, then sighs long and hard through his nose. Baekhyun claps a hand over his mouth and shakes from silent laughter, eyes twinkling with mirth up at his father. 

“It...Baekhyun, I…” Junmyeon shakes his head. “If you’re done, then go back to the palace. I need to survey the grounds before dinner.” 

“Do you need our presence at dinner tonight, father?” Baekhyun’s mouth twists to the side in a wry half-smile. 

“No, I don’t. I’m sure you two can keep yourselves…  _ entertained _ .” Baekhyun and Jongdae bow low again. 

“Whatever you like, father.” Baekhyun gently takes Jongdae’s hand and tugs him towards the edge of the woods. “Come on, Dae.” 

“M’sorry, Your Majesty,” Jongdae mumbles, but Junmyeon shakes his head again. Jongdae looks up in surprise to see a shadow of amusement spreading across the king’s face. 

“Don’t be sorry for being in love, Prince Jongdae.” 

\--

“Oh my god,” Jongdae fans himself as they make their way back to the shared bedroom, robes wet and muddy from falling. Baekhyun only bursts into peals of laughter, almost crying from his hysterics as he doubles over on himself. 

“Don’t laugh, Baek,” Jongdae laughs helplessly as well as he watches Baekhyun collapse to his knees. “That was so awkward…” Jongdae feels tears spring into the corners of his eyes as he cringes at the situation playing over and over again in his head and lets out a small sob. Baekhyun’s still giggling as he gets up and makes his way over to Jongdae, who’s overcome with shame. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Baekhyun swallows down the rest of his laughter as he embraces Jongdae tightly. “You saw how he reacted, he understands. I’ve told you before, you don’t need to be afraid of my father.” 

“But it was so indecent, being caught like that,” Jongdae hiccups into Baekhyun’s shoulder. “And now everyone is going to kn-know because his servant w-was there too, and--” Baekhyun soothes him from his rising hysteria. 

“Shhh, shhh. You think father would let his servants gossip about us so openly? Besides, even if that servant did talk, nobody will think any less of us,” Baekhyun reassures him. “It’s not like we were doing anything risqué. It’s just a kiss, Jongdae-ah. You know the servants, they’ll think it’s cute. They think everything we do is cute. And I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. I didn’t think anybody would be in the woods this time of day. But I promise you it wasn’t indecent.” Baekhyun strokes Jongdae’s hair softly. “My father wouldn’t be mad at something like this, Jongdae-ah. Trust me.” He wipes the last of Jongdae’s tears away. “Go fetch your servant and get out of these muddy clothes. You’re not hurt from that fall, are you?” Jongdae shakes his head. “Okay.” Baekhyun gives him a small smile. “Just making sure my little prince is safe.” 

\--

After dinner is eaten out on their private balcony, Jongdae stands with his hands on the smooth wooden railing, gazing out at the sunset as always, when a pair of hands wrap around his waist and hold him securely. 

“Baekhyunnie,” Jongdae states, not taking his eyes off of the vibrant colors that paint the night sky, and Baekhyun nips lightly at his ear in affirmation. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Baekhyun murmurs, pointing to the sunset in Jongdae’s peripheral. Jongdae nods in agreement, but Baekhyun isn’t finished. “But you are more beautiful.” 

“Nothing is more beautiful than the sunset,” Jongdae argues. 

“No.” Baekhyun turns Jongdae around in his arms as the colors fade out into a rapidly darkening sky. “You are the most beautiful thing in my life, Jongdae.” He’s staring at Jongdae with that look again, the calculated, piercing, hopeful one where Baekhyun’s trying to figure out just how much Jongdae really feels for him within his shy, demure exterior. 

“I… “ Jongdae blushes. “Okay. Thank you.” 

“It’s true,” Baekhyun insists. “You’re so handsome.” He touches Jongdae’s bottom lip softly, lets his hand trace along Jongdae’s jawline, and brushes his thumb along the arc of his cheekbones. “So gentle,” he murmurs as Jongdae closes his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“You wouldn’t hurt me,” Jongdae whispers. 

“I don’t want to scare you away.” 

“You don’t scare me, Baekhyunnie.” Jongdae gazes up at Baekhyun with adoration. Baekhyun sighs in frustration as he tries to discern the difference between Jongdae’s affection and desire.

“How much can I give to you without you trying to give it back?” Baekhyun asks, again feeling the coil of pressure build in the pit of his stomach and desperately ignoring it. 

“I--I don’t understand.” Jongdae’s brows furrow together in confusion. 

Baekhyun’s self-restraint cracks as he runs his hands up Jongdae’s back to play with Jongdae’s hair and tilts his chin up towards Baekhyun’s lips. “I… I want you so bad.” 

“Oh,” Jongdae gasps as he meets Baekhyun halfway, rolling up onto his toes to catch Baekhyun’s desperate, needy kiss. Jongdae gasps at the intensity of it, desire rolling off of Baekhyun in waves as he kisses Jongdae deeply, the hand in Jongdae’s hair going down to press into the small of Jongdae’s back, pulling him flush to Baekhyun so that Jongdae can’t miss the hard erection pressing into his lower stomach. Baekhyun swirls his tongue in Jongdae’s mouth, tasting him greedily as Jongdae’s head spins, cloudy and confused with only one thought in his mind;  _ Baekhyun, Baekhyun, Baekhyun _ . When Baekhyun finally pulls back, Jongdae gasps, eyes still closed as he tries to make sense of his emotions.

“Tell me,” Baekhyun asks in a raspy voice, almost pleading with Jongdae. “How much of you do I have?” His hands itch to move under those silk robes and roam over soft, pale skin, to carry Jongdae to their bed and make love to him until dawn breaks outside their window, but he tamps down on the last of his control and holds onto it. “What am I to you?” He grips Jongdae’s waist as he waits miserably for Jongdae’s answer. 

Jongdae swallows. “You’re… you’re caring,” he whispers. “You’re sweet, and patient, and kind to me.” Baekhyun closes his eyes and exhales shakily, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes as he gently releases Jongdae. 

“You’re my husband. My lover.” Baekhyun’s heart seems to stop as Jongdae moves closer to him and reaches in between the folds of his robes to press a shaking hand to Baekhyun’s erection, slowly wrapping his small hand around the outline of his member in Baekhyun’s thin pants. Baekhyun grits his teeth and almost moans. 

“Don’t do that, sweetheart, I won’t be able to control myself,” Baekhyun chokes out, but Jongdae slowly begins rubbing him and Baekhyun whimpers, feeling his self-discipline break away from him fast. 

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun pleads. “Don’t do that, baby, please.” 

“I want you,” Jongdae breathes, reaching up to cup Baekhyun’s cheek. “Take me, Baekhyun. Tonight.” Baekhyun groans and picks Jongdae up, marching him inside and placing him on the bed, where he meets Jongdae in another needy kiss. Jongdae sighs softly, clutching at Baekhyun’s robes as he marks Jongdae, sucking deep red bruises into the sensitive skin of Jongdae’s neck. Baekhyun fumbles frantically with Jongdae’s sash, almost rips his shirt off in his desire, and groans as all of Jongdae is exposed to him. Milky-white, untouched skin is soft and pliant under Baekhyun’s trembling fingers as he traces Jongdae’s thin waist, rubs over his nipples to hear Jongdae mewl softly under him, then leaves wide, open-mouthed kisses all over his chest and stomach, loving the way Jongdae arches up into his mouth, tangles his fingers in Baekhyun’s hair, how easily he falls apart under Baekhyun. 

“So pretty,” Baekhyun breathes, tracing the red that blossoms across Jongdae’s skin. “So beautiful.” 

“Touch me,” Jongdae begs, and Baekhyun does, watching the way Jongdae’s eyes roll into the back of his head as his hips stutter up into Baekhyun’s hand, sensitive to every stroke of fingers along his tip, gasping as Baekhyun coaxes feelings out of him that he’s never felt before. 

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun murmurs reverently as Jongdae moans softly, intertwining his fingers with Jongdae’s. “So beautiful, my love.” He fumbles as he strips himself of his own clothing, watching how Jongdae’s eyes widen as he braces himself over Jongdae, firm muscles rippling, subtly flexing his abs as Jongdae runs a hand over them. 

“Handsome,” Jongdae whispers, blushing pink, and Baekhyun kisses him softly to loosen him up again. 

“Don’t be afraid, my love,” he tells Jongdae as he reaches for a small bottle of lube. “Tell me if you want me to stop.” He preps Jongdae slowly, carefully monitoring every scrunch of his nose, the way his eyes glaze over in pleasure, stopping immediately if Jongdae’s continuous whimpers border on pain. 

“Ready?” he asks, softly petting over Jongdae’s waist again, sucking on his collarbone to leave another hickey. Jongdae nods, panting softly as Baekhyun lines himself up. 

“Please,” Jongdae asks as Baekhyun stays still, and Baekhyun leans to kiss him through the pain of being stretched open. Jongdae squeezes his eyes shut as Baekhyun breaches him, and Baekhyun shudders because Jongdae feels  _ perfect  _ already, so tight and wet for him, sensitive to every movement of Baekhyun’s hips. 

“No,” Jongdae gasps as Baekhyun is halfway in, tears falling from his eyes at the combination of pain and pleasure coursing through him. “It’s too much, Baekhyun.” Baekhyun gently kisses the tears off of his cheeks, reaching down to touch him once again to offer a distraction from the pain. 

“You can, my love, so good for me, just a little more,” Baekhyun whispers comfortingly as Jongdae lets out whimpers of discomfort. “You’re doing so well already, baby. I love you.” Jongdae’s eyes glaze over once more as he slowly becomes accustomed to the feeling, and Baekhyun bottoms out slowly, moaning in tandem with Jongdae at how good it feels, suppressing the urge to move until Jongdae gives him the go ahead. He rolls his hips slowly in and out of Jongdae, making love to him softly, tenderly, and Jongdae blossoms for him, cheeks flushed pink in pleasure, eyes screwed shut as he moans softly, hands dragging over Baekhyun’s broad back and shoulders as Baekhyun offers him the most exquisite of feelings. A kind of heady pleasure builds in Jongdae, and he whimpers, overwhelmed with sensations. 

“Baekhyun, I… I…” Jongdae gasps as Baekhyun hits his sweet spot. “I can’t…” 

“Let go, my love, you’ve been so good to me,” Baekhyun encourages, and Jongdae winces as the pleasure reaches unbearable. He moans Baekhyun’s name as he lets go, which tips Baekhyun over as well, spilling into Jongdae with a gasp, filling him up with seed as they hold onto each other, finally sealing tradition with a soft, loving kiss.

“We’re officially married now,” Jongdae murmurs drowsily in Baekhyun’s arms after they’ve cleaned up, but Baekhyun shakes his head in the dark. 

“No,” he corrects Jongdae tenderly. “We were married from the first night.” 

“But does it count? We didn’t consummate until now.” 

“Don’t believe those silly traditions.” Baekhyun presses a kiss to Jongdae’s forehead. “All I need is you,” he murmurs. “I don’t need sex, or a ring, or any of that to know that I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Jongdae whispers. “G’night.” Jongdae falls asleep quietly, tired out from his bliss, curled contentedly into Baekhyun’s side. Baekhyun tucks the covers in around Jongdae before closing his eyes too, surrounded by the sweet presence of Jongdae. 

“Good night, my prince.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end~  
> -  
> How was it? I hope you guys loved the story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and it fulfilled all of your hopes and expectations <3 Thank you guys so much for supporting and encouraging me as I published, it really helped me, especially when I got stuck in the middle despite it being a very simple plotline. Do you guys want more? I was thinking about writing a little oneshot bonus chapter for this story, maybe them going on a trip together or something~ Let me know if you're interested >< Anyways huge thank you to Arane for helping me edit and suggest ideas, and thank you to my readers as well, much love XOXO


	6. oneshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae's beach trip/honeymoon with Baekhyun is just as amazing as you'd expect it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ Here is the promised oneshot! It's kinda long but it's fluffy and smutty and happy and it's just BaekChen utterly and completely head over heels for each other. Enjoy!

“Don’t, Baekkie,” Jongdae gently pulls Baekhyun to his side and turns his attention back to the sunset. “I wanna watch the sun go down.” Baekhyun doesn’t argue; when the sky begins to turn a light gray, Jongdae’s attention goes back to his husband, craning his neck behind him to see Baekhyun holding his arms out hopefully. 

“Now?” he asks, widening his eyes and offering Jongdae a pout. Jongdae steps right into his embrace, humming contentedly as he wraps his own arms around Baekhyun’s waist and squeezes tightly. Jongdae looks up and stares into the bold, piercing gaze of Baekhyun. Whereas Jongdae’s brown eyes are pools of chocolate, sweet and compassionate, Baekhyun’s brown seems to smolder at the edges, his fiery, passionate personality reflected in his calculated stare. Baekhyun’s contemplations are short and objective, a burst of fireworks that explode into sparks of color, but die down just as quickly. Commanding. Powerful. Unerring. There are no hesitations when Baekhyun makes his decisions--except for Jongdae. He always falters with Jongdae. Baekhyun’s roaring bonfire in his heart flickers, then dies down slowly when he meets Jongdae’s eyes or holds him in his arms; a tame, quiet burn, an unconditional love and affection for his handsome little prince. Baekhyun is, in every sense of the word,  _ obsessed  _ with Jongdae--his cute laughter that bubbles up when Baekhyun tells him a joke, soft moans and whimpers of Baekhyun’s name in the middle of the night that never fail to rile him up, his quiet, regal aura but genteel looks, pale skin standing out sharply among the flecks of gold lining and royal blue of his robes. 

“Baek-hyun?” His name gets broken in two when Jongdae calls him cutely, and Baekhyun feels his heart twist as well, because his name was never meant to be that beautiful, but when uttered from Jongdae’s lips, everything sounds twice as sweet. “You okay? You look a little lost.” 

“M’lost in your eyes, sweetheart,” Baekhyun flirts easily. “They’re gorgeous.” 

“You only tell me ten times a day.” Jongdae still blushes though. “I’m sorry I pushed you aside.” 

“Don’t be sorry.” Baekhyun leans down and presses his lips to Jongdae’s. “I have something to ask you,” he tells Jongdae when they break apart. Jongdae’s eyes turn curious. 

“Hmm?” Jongdae pulls Baekhyun down to sit on the short, well-kept grass and leans against Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Did I do something wrong?” 

“No, baby.” Baekhyun reaches out to grasp Jongdae’s hand and presses a kiss onto Jongdae’s knuckles. “Every year, over the summer, my father and I have to check that other sectors of our land are doing okay. Father’s already done with the west side--that’s why he’s been gone these past few days--but now I have to go to the east side.” 

“So you’re leaving?” Jongdae’s eyes are already downcast. 

“I’m not finished, sweetheart. What’s on the east side, do you know?” 

“The ocean, right?” 

“Yep, we have a little coastal sector that I need to check. Have you ever been?” Jongdae shakes his head. 

“My father doesn't have coastal territory,” Jongdae explains. “We just had lots of rolling hills.” Baekhyun smiles at him, all mischief and anticipation for his reaction. 

“Do you want to come with me then?” 

“Really?” Jongdae gasps, eyes widening in surprise. 

“If you’d like to join me, I’ll get my work done in a few days and have some time to spend with you too. I know it’s short, but you and I can make it our honeymoon.” 

Jongdae flings himself into Baekhyun’s arms excitedly and Baekhyun laughs. “Woah. Hey there, cutie.” Jongdae looks up at Baekhyun. 

“Can we still see the sunset?” 

Baekhyun pulls Jongdae into his lap and cuddles him into his chest as he animatedly makes gestures while speaking. “Sweetheart, it’s so pretty on the shoreline, when the sun touches the water and all the colors are reflected on the waves. We can sit on the sand dunes and watch it every night. And during the daytime, I’ll take you for walks by the ocean to find seashells. It’s warm enough to go wading now, too.” Jongdae’s smile gets impossibly wider as Baekhyun describes the scene to him. “We have a small, gray stone castle there, built on the flatland on the cliffs. That’s where we stay every year. The view is so pretty, and there’s an easy trail down to the beach right from our private bedroom. The servants like to catch crabs for fun, so I’ll ask Kyungsoo to make seafood spaghetti for you. Nothing’s better than fresh seafood.” 

“I wanna go,” Jongdae breathes, pressing a kiss onto Baekhyun’s cheek. “When are we leaving?” 

“In just a few days. Shall we go tell father then?” Baekhyun stands up and offers Jongdae his hand. Jongdae springs up eagerly, intertwining their fingers happily. 

“I didn’t know we got a honeymoon,” Jongdae murmurs. 

“Usually arranged marriages don’t… end well persay, so both parties don’t really want one. But I’ve been meaning to take you somewhere fun for months now.” Baekhyun squeezes his hand as they make their way to Junmyeon’s study. “You’re happy?” 

“Sooo, so happy, Baekhyunnie.” 

\--

Jongdae giggles as Baekhyun offers him a hand up into the carriage then climbs in behind him, pulling Jongdae into his lap and nosing at his neck playfully. Jongdae peeks his head out of the small window and waves to King Junmyeon. 

“G’bye, Your Majesty,” Jongdae calls, and Junmyeon smiles fondly at him. 

“Have fun, Prince Jongdae. Remind Baekhyun to be patient.” 

“I will.” The driver starts the horses and Jongdae waves one last time as they depart. 

“How long is the drive?” Jongdae asks Baekhyun, who brushes Jongdae’s hair out of his eyes. 

“Just a few hours. We’ll be there soon.” Baekhyun yawns, covering it quickly with his hand, but Jongdae slides out of his lap and pulls Baekhyun to lie down sideways on the plush seat, his head in Jongdae’s lap. 

“You can sleep,” Jongdae tells him. “You got up so early this morning.” He plays with Baekhyun’s soft hair as the elder falls asleep, exhausted from moving luggage before the sun had even thought of rising. Even now, the sun had just peeked over the hills, and the sky is still streaked with a warm orange. Eventually Jongdae dozes off as well, his hands still in Baekhyun’s hair, waking up when Baekhyun shakes his shoulder gently.

“We’re here, sweetheart.” Jongdae winces at the crick in his neck from sleeping upright and Baekhyun’s hands immediately reach over to help gently rub the ache away. “Let’s go down to the beach? The servants will move everything in.” Baekhyun helps him out from the carriage, grabs a large towel from the arms of a servant, and leads Jongdae down a small, sandy trail that’s lined with scraggly shrubs and tall, graceful grasses. Baekhyun ruffles Jongdae’s hair affectionately when the trail opens up to the beach and he gasps in surprise and delight. A vast expanse of sand stretches as far as he can see in either direction, and ahead of him the green ocean glitters with sunlight as waves crash up onto the sand, then retreat rhythmically. The wind is salty and harsher than back home, and Baekhyun strips himself of his robe to drape it around Jongdae’s shoulders worriedly, unbothered in his t-shirt and baggy pants that are cinched at the ankle. 

“It’s warm, Baekhyun,” Jongdae reassures him, but Baekhyun shakes his head. 

“It’s still windy. Don’t want you catching a head cold because of the new environment. Isn’t it pretty though?” Jongdae nods as Baekhyun takes his hand and leads him closer to the water, stopping a few feet away from where the dry meets darker, wet sand and lays out their towel. 

“It’s so vast,” Jongdae murmurs. “I didn’t think… it’d be this big?” Baekhyun laughs when Jongdae gets dizzy from circling around to stare at the seagulls overhead and crashes onto the towel next to Baekhyun. 

“That was cute, sweetheart.” Baekhyun drapes an arm around a giggling Jongdae. “What did you think it would be like?” 

Jongdae scrunches his nose up cutely. “I don’t know. I thought it would be like if you were standing on a grassy plain, except everything was sand. And I didn’t think the waves would be this big. I thought it was like a really big lake.” 

“That’s peaceful. I should’ve expected that.” Baekhyun chuckles. 

“This is peaceful, too, though. I think I like this better.” Jongdae eyes a seagull. “The birds are so cute and funny.” Baekhyun imitates their call, sending Jongdae into another fit of giggles. When Jongdae turns to him, hair blown back from his face by the wind, insouciance and delight written all over his face, Baekhyun fears that his heart might actually burst. 

\--

“So, how many days are we here for?” Jongdae asks as he forks a piece of perfectly grilled tilapia into his mouth. They’d opted to have their meal brought up to their private balcony instead of using the dining hall in the small castle. Jongdae looks radiant sitting across the table from Baekhyun, a warm orange light cast onto his face as the flame from the candle sitting in the middle of the table flickers. Baekhyun chews thoughtfully and swallows before replying. 

“Three days. The beach, then the highlands, then the small town a few miles north from us.” 

“Can I go with you?” 

“What?” Baekhyun’s caught off guard by the question. “It’s just work, it’s not fun.” 

“What do you have to do?” 

“I just take a horse and ride all day, honestly. I take notes for my father and stop once for lunch.” 

“I want to go,” Jongdae declares, but Baekhyun’s lips twist to the side as he shakes his head gently. 

“You’ll be outside all day, sweetheart. And I don’t want you to get injured because of a horse--” 

“I know how to ride horseback, Baekhyunnie.” Jongdae finishes his fish filet. “I won’t bother you, I’ll just follow you and let you do whatever you need to do. I just want to see the beach and… and spend time with you.” 

“But you’re so fragile, Dae, and it’ll take the entire day. You’ll get sunburnt.” Baekhyun furrows his brows together worriedly. “Why not ask Kyungsoo to keep you company for the day, and then I’ll come back as soon as I can?” 

“If I get tired, I’ll just turn back. I’m not helpless. I want to explore, please, Baek-hyunnie?” Jongdae’s angelic smile should be illegal. Baekhyun sighs in defeat. 

“If you want to go that badly, I won’t say no. I just--I worry about you all the time. You get sick so easily, and I just… I don’t ever want to see you hurting.” Baekhyun reaches out for Jongdae’s hand and interlaces their fingers together. “But I don’t think you’re helpless, and I don’t mean to treat you like you are.” 

“I know,” Jongdae answers quietly. “I love you.” Baekhyun’s heart skips a beat like it always does when Jongdae utters those words, even though he’s said it countless times by now. As he stares at the candle’s reflection in Jongdae’s steady, gentle brown eyes, Baekhyun wonders if it’s possible to love someone a little  _ too  _ much. 

\--

When Baekhyun wakes up the next morning, he’s treated to the sight of beautiful Jongdae curled up into his side as unbridled sunlight streams in through the window. As it hits Jongdae’s high cheekbones, his skin shimmers a radiant, white-gold color, like that of an angel, if Baekhyun had ever seen one. And he’s pretty sure that Jongdae is, indeed, an angel--eyes closed peacefully in slumber, sighing out warm breaths into Baekhyun’s neck, nestled into the soft sheets. Baekhyun pulls Jongdae closer, pressing a gentle kiss in Jongdae’s raven-black hair to watch him squirm and open his eyes sleepily. His gaze lands on Baekhyun, who’s holding Jongdae close to his chest, hair messily splayed over the pillow. Jongdae leans upwards to press a soft kiss to his lover’s lips. Baekhyun’s hands drift lower to Jongdae’s waist, murmuring a sweet ‘good morning, love’ in between kisses. Jongdae rolls over so that he’s half on top of Baekhyun and his thigh presses in between Baekhyun’s legs. 

“Oh,” Jongdae jumps in surprise, then laughs shyly as his hand makes its way down Baekhyun’s bare chest to palm at his morning wood. Baekhyun gasps as Jongdae begins to move his hand, bucking instinctively, seeking out more friction from his thin pants and Jongdae’s grasp. 

“Baek-hyunnie, good morning,” Jongdae whispers, and that does  _ things  _ to Baekhyun, especially because the younger is now licking a stripe up the side of his throat as well and playfully nipping at the soft skin. 

“Baby...” Baekhyun’s voice is low and raspy and Jongdae shivers when Baekhyun presses his lips close to Jongdae’s ear. “You want it this early in the morning?” 

Jongdae blushes hard. “I…” 

“We have to leave soon… ” Baekhyun’s hand slips past the waistband to stroke him, and Jongdae whimpers into Baekhyun’s neck at the feeling of a soft hand wrapped around his length. 

“Then be quick… ” Jongdae lets out a quiet moan when Baekhyun teases the underside of his cock and thumbs at the pearl of precum leaking from the tip. “Don’t tease today,” he begs, knowing full well how much Baekhyun loves teasing him, watching him shake with need, begging Baekhyun to give it to him. Baekhyun tilts Jongdae’s head to the side and flicks his tongue gently against the sensitive skin of his neck. Jongdae gasps and Baekhyun continues, his hair tickling Jongdae’s bare chest as he wraps his lips around a nipple and licks long, flat strokes over the nub. 

“ _ Ohh, _ ” Jongdae’s breath hitches and he shakily cards his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair. 

“So beautiful,” Baekhyun whispers as he lays his palm against Jongdae’s sculpted white chest to feel pliant, supple skin underneath his fingertips. The hand traces Jongdae’s small waist, then pulls on the waistband of his pants. Baekhyun flings them away carelessly and stares in awe at the sight of Jongdae, naked against the sheets, eyes glimmering with love as he looks up at Baekhyun shyly, and his hard member that lays flush with a thick happy trail. 

“Baekhyun, touch me,” Jongdae whispers as the slightest hint of a blush rises in his cheeks when Baekhyun licks his lips greedily, eyes taking in every inch of Jongdae’s body. “Don’t--don’t just look at me like that.” 

“You’re perfect, so pretty, so handsome.” Baekhyun leans down to kiss Jongdae almost reverently. “You’re mine,” he murmurs, as if he can’t believe it. 

“Yours,” Jongdae affirms, tugging insistently on the waistband of Baekhyun’s pants. “Make me yours.” He moans when Baekhyun slides in, clenching around Baekhyun’s girth even though he prepped Jongdae briefly. 

“Fuck.” Baekhyun grits his teeth as Jongdae moans his name sweetly. “Oh my god, baby. So tight. Can I move?” 

“Please,” Jongdae begs, and it takes all of Baekhyun’s self-control to not completely ravage him, to pound into him harder, faster,  _ deeper.  _ Jongdae lets out high-pitched whines as Baekhyun slides in and out, aiming for Jongdae’s sweet spot. 

“Hyunnie,” Jongdae sighs as Baekhyun finds it. “More, please.” He wraps a hand around the back of Baekhyun’s neck and pulls him down for a few pecks. “Give it to me,” he whimpers into Baekhyun’s mouth. “I want you.” 

Baekhyun growls, low and threatening in the back of his throat. “You don’t know what you’re asking for, sweetheart.” 

“I want-- _ ah _ \--all of you,” Jongdae moans his name again, hands tracing large circles on Baekhyun’s back. “Please,” he begs again, and Baekhyun snaps his hips sharply, a wild look in his eyes. Jongdae lets out a surprised yelp that turns into a needy whine. “Again, Baek.” 

“Ah, fuck,” Baekhyun pulls out and Jongdae looks at him confusedly. “Turn around. Hands and knees, baby.” Jongdae obeys, arching his back and moaning when Baekhyun slides back in, filling him up from the new angle. “You. Asked. For. It,” Baekhyun punctuates each of his words with a hard thrust into Jongdae, the younger keeping up a stream of constant mewls and whines. “Wanna fuck you so hard, make you feel so good. You drive me crazy, sweetheart.” 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae cries out, “Baekhyun, Baekhyunnie. It’s so good,” he arches his back again, rocking back onto Baekhyun’s cock every time he thrusts into Jongdae’s tight, wet heat. “M’all yours.” 

“Of course you are.” Baekhyun reaches around to rub Jongdae to completion, reaching his own climax as Jongdae clenches around him and moans his name again. Baekhyun pulls out, collapsing on the bed and enveloping Jongdae in a messy, sticky cuddle. 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae requests timidly after they’ve both calmed down and Baekhyun slides off the bed. “Baekhyun?” 

“Right here, baby.” Jongdae lies still as Baekhyun runs a damp cloth over his lower body, cleaning up their mess. “You okay?” 

“Mhm.” Jongdae flushes red as Baekhyun stares at him adoringly, pulling the covers up to hide himself. “Don’t…” 

“Why not? You’re gorgeous,” Baekhyun leans forward to kiss the tip of Jongdae’s nose lightly. “Come on, baby. We gotta move.” Jongdae shyly slides out of bed and wraps himself around Baekhyun, burying his face into his chest embarrassedly. The elder only laughs. 

\--

Jongdae glances over at Baekhyun, who’s looped the reins over one arm and is busy scribbling notes. He’d insisted that Jongdae ride next to him, “because,” Baekhyun declared with a tone of finality in his voice, “if you’re coming, I’m not gonna make you follow behind me like some little kid who I’m too busy to deal with.” So Jongdae steals peeks at his handsome husband while gazing at the unfamiliar landscape around him, drinking in the sight of the seemingly endless ocean to his left and the tall grasses which sway hypnotically in the small sand dunes to his right. Above him, the seagulls circle and caw loudly in the sky, which is dotted with fluffy cotton-candy clouds. When he looks over at Baekhyun again, the elder is staring at him with an endearing look in his eye. 

“You comfortable?” Jongdae nods happily, and Baekhyun smiles. “You look so beautiful in gray.” Jongdae looks down to his gray robes, embroidered with black and silver swirls on the sleeves and tied with a flowing black sash. Color floods to his cheeks and Jongdae figures that at this point, he might as well just stain his cheeks permanently pink.

“You look handsome, too,” Jongdae murmurs. Baekhyun offers another affectionate smile before turning his attention back to his surroundings. 

“Oh, Jongdae.” Baekhyun speaks suddenly. “Sorry,” he adds as Jongdae jumps in his saddle. “Look up ahead there. If you squint, can you see the black rocks and the cliff?” Jongdae stares at where Baekhyun is pointing, and true to his word, Jongdae can just make out a speck of black, followed by a smudge of gray. 

“Yeah.” 

“That’s where we turn back, and we’ll eat lunch there as well. You’re okay, right?” 

“I’m fine.” Jongdae squints at it again. “There’s an end to the beach?” 

“Er… kinda? It is irregular, persay. There’s not really an end to the coastline, but that cliff just makes it easier for us to mark territory. If everything is uniform up until there, then it’s safe to assume that not much has changed beyond that, in terms of the coastline that we own.” 

“You own more than just up to the cliff, right?” 

“Correct. We own all the way up until the border we share with Exordia. It’d be easier to show on a map, but I’m sure you know the borders by heart anyways.” 

“Yeah,” Jongdae murmurs. “So what about everything on the cliff?” 

“We’ll check that tomorrow, and also wander further east. See, the dunes are already starting to slope upwards. This wall just builds up as we ride closer. You can tell, see?” Baekhyun points to the sand dunes, which are indeed piling up higher and turning into a mixture of short grass and sand near their tops. A couple hours pass, mostly in comfortable silence. Jongdae’s back begins to ache near the end, but he says nothing, mostly because it doesn’t bother him enough to warrant a complaint, and Baekhyun would surely overreact. Eager to reach the rocks and explore, Jongdae spurs his mare on into a trot, pulling ahead of Baekhyun

“What the--Jongdae?” 

“Just wanna explore!” Jongdae calls over his shoulder, then urges his horse into a gallop. Jongdae whoops with delight as he rides smoothly, feeling the salty wind whip his hair back and his robes billowing out behind him. He slows down as he approaches their destination, then comes to a stop, setting out feed and water for his tired horse from the pouch tied behind him as he waits for Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s horse comes trotting briskly towards them, then Baekhyun slides off and rushes over to Jongdae’s side. 

“You okay? You scared me so bad, I thought you’d lost control.” 

“No, I just wanted to feel the wind.” Jongdae smiles and stretches upwards to rid himself of the ache in his back. They sit together on a particularly large, flat rock with sandwiches and cider, watching waves crash up against the side of the towering cliff, feeling the sea spray hit their faces. 

“This is so lonely if you do it by yourself,” Jongdae frowns. 

“No, usually I’d just have an advisor or a knight come with me. But you’re the best company.” Baekhyun feeds Jongdae a slice of apple from their bag of fruit. “Are you tired, though?” 

“A little,” Jongdae admits, and Baekhyun’s hand comes to rest at the small of his back and rubs it in circles, loosening up some of the tension. 

“You’re sore here, aren’t you?” Baekhyun asks. Jongdae bites his lip lightly and nods. “I can feel how tight you are. It happens if you don’t ride all that often. I’ll massage you when we get back tonight.” 

“It’s okay,” Jongdae begins, but Baekhyun pokes another piece of apple into his mouth to silence him. 

The rest of the afternoon passes with amiable chatter as they ride back. When the dunes begin to flatten out again, Baekhyun urges both their horses up onto the grass again so as to get a head start on checking the highlands. When they finally return to the castle, Jongdae stumbles slightly as he slides off his horse and Baekhyun catches him. 

“Sore?” Baekhyun asks, not unkindly. Despite his own tired limbs, he motions for Jongdae to climb onto his back. 

“I can walk,” Jongdae insists, taking a few steps away from Baekhyun, laughing and breaking into a run towards the castle as Baekhyun starts towards him with a familiar glint of amusement in his eye. But Baekhyun is faster, and upon catching up to Jongdae, scoops him up into his arms despite his exhaustion. Jongdae’s laugh rings out like music as Baekhyun spins him around and carries him back to their suite where a servant has already started a warm bath for both of them. Baekhyun methodically strips Jongdae’s sweaty, sandy clothes off of him and places him into the bubbles carefully before slipping in behind him in the huge tub. Jongdae sighs in relief as he leans back into Baekhyun’s broad chest. Baekhyun drapes one hand around Jongdae’s waist while the other comes up to play with the sweet, floral-scented bubbles unhurriedly. 

“Today was fun,” Jongdae cranes his neck to look up at Baekhyun, who is building himself a bubble mustache. Jongdae reorients himself to pile more bubbles onto his lover’s face. “I’m really tired, but it was fun.” Baekhyun pulls Jongdae closer as if to kiss him, but when Jongdae closes his eyes in anticipation, Baekhyun’s laughter rings out in the bathroom as he transfers his bubble beard to Jongdae. 

“Ah, BAEKHYUN!” Jongdae exclaims, but he’s laughing as well, splashing water onto his face to rinse the bubbles off. Baekhyun leans forward to kiss him for real, sighing softly into Jongdae’s mouth as their lips connect. 

“Mmmm… kissing you is so, so nice,” Baekhyun murmurs as they make out lazily in the tub, Baekhyun lapping unhurriedly into Jongdae’s mouth. “You normally taste like nectar,” he tells Jongdae, tracing his bottom lip, “but today you taste like sea salt.” Jongdae blushes and presses against Baekhyun, both of their erections pressed flush against each other. Jongdae moans at the contact, and Baekhyun loses what little self-control he had preserved in the first place. “Shower,” he murmurs, mouthing at Jongdae greedily and pulling him to stand up. “Get in the shower.” They stumble over towels and clothes and Baekhyun wrenches the shower on, drenching both of them in freezing cold water. Jongdae shrieks and splutters but Baekhyun pays no attention, pressing Jongdae against the cold tile wall and continues kissing him, already long lost in the taste, the presence, the soft moans of Jongdae. The shower gradually turns warmer and Jongdae’s attention goes back to his husband, whose hand is wrapped around Jongdae’s erection and tugging at it with firm strokes. Jongdae chokes, hand going straight to Baekhyun’s wet hair when Baekhyun sinks down onto his knees, ignoring the hard tile--for there is little discomfort that Baekhyun wouldn’t bear for his husband--and takes Jongdae’s cock into his mouth. 

“ _ Oh, _ ” Jongdae gasps as Baekhyun sucks, firm and pleasurable, as he bobs his head lazily. “Baekhyunnie, oh my god.” Baekhyun tongues at the tip of his cock, moaning at the heady taste of Jongdae which only makes Jongdae leak more and buck into Baekhyun’s mouth. Baekhyun looks up at him, his gaze smoldering with passion and lust underneath hooded eyes. Jongdae keens, high and needy in the back of his throat because hard-driven Byun Baekhyun is kneeling in front of him and eyeing Jongdae as if he’s the only person that matters. The sight makes Jongdae dizzy with want, and as Baekhyun bobs his head, this time he sinks down, down, down until the tip of Jongdae’s cock touches the back of his throat. Jongdae cums hard, throwing his head back with Baekhyun’s name floating off of his lips. Once Baekhyun swallows every drop, he pulls himself back up and presses his lips to Jongdae’s so that the younger can taste himself on Baekhyun’s plush lips. 

“Don’t get a hot head, sweetheart,” Baekhyun growls, still achingly hard. “Get on your knees.” His heavy, greedy stare through strands of wet hair makes Jongdae shiver as he lowers his head obediently and sinks down. Baekhyun taps his cock against Jongdae’s lips and Jongdae whimpers, opening his mouth a little to suck on the tip. Baekhyun’s chest heaves as he looks down on Jongdae--pliant, needy, desperate to please. 

“Open up.” Baekhyun’s fingers entangle themselves in Jongdae’s hair and press him forward, until Jongdae resists. “Good boy,” Baekhyun’s voice echoes around the bathroom and Jongdae basks in the praise, glancing up at Baekhyun through his eyelashes worriedly to check if he’s doing it the way Baekhyun likes. “Keep going, sweetheart. Show me what that pretty mouth of yours can do.” Baekhyun smirks down at Jongdae, bucking his hips into Jongdae’s mouth subtly from the visual stimulation of Jongdae on his knees for him, soft pink lips stretched wide around his cock. “Fuck,” he hisses as Jongdae pulls flush with his navel and holds still, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes and even swallowing around his gag reflex. “You’re just so good at this, aren’t you, sweetheart?” Jongdae mumbles around him, sending patterns of vibrations tingling up his shaft. Baekhyun grips Jongdae’s hair tightly as he thrusts once, twice, and cums down Jongdae’s throat. “Swallow it all baby, show me how much you love me,” Baekhyun requests in a shaky voice, and Jongdae obeys, staring up at Baekhyun for praise once he’s finished. “Come here.” Baekhyun pulls him up, kisses him softly. “You’re so beautiful, so good to me.” He lathers up a washcloth with soap and begins washing Jongdae off, taking care to press a little harder on Jongdae’s back to loosen it up with the hot water. “I love you so much,” Baekhyun murmurs as Jongdae takes the cloth, rinsing and relathering it up to do the same for his husband. “You know that, right?” 

“I know,” Jongdae answers simply, turning Baekhyun around to get to the back of his neck. “I love you, too, it’s just… it’s hard for me to express sometimes.” Baekhyun imagines the blush creeping up Jongdae’s neck and turns around to confirm it. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’ve gotten so much better at it, though.” They stand under the spray together as the sweet smelling bubbles swirl down the drain. “I love you more,” Baekhyun adds with a smirk. 

“I don’t think you do.” Jongdae cocks his head to the side and smiles shyly. “You’d… be surprised.” 

“No,” Baekhyun shakes his head. “You’re the only thing I need, Jongdae. You’re all I ever wanted and dreamed of, and you’re even more than that.” Jongdae’s blush steadily creeps to his ears, then to his face as Baekhyun keeps talking. “I never thought I would find love because my life partner would be chosen by my parents. But you--” Jongdae kisses him before he can continue professing his undying love in the shower, and before steam starts coming out of his ears to join the shower mist. 

“Okay.” Jongdae fans himself uselessly as Baekhyun chuckles and turns the shower off. “I just--I love you, too.” 

\--

They eat dinner out on the balcony again, and Baekhyun’s eyes light up when seafood spaghetti is brought to them. 

“Jongdae, c’mere. Closer. Closer.” Baekhyun’s already laughing as Jongdae scoots his chair next to Baekhyun, blushing as Baekhyun holds out a string of spaghetti for him. “Okay,” he mumbles around his own piece, trying not to break it as he talks. “Go.” Jongdae sputters out a laugh as they make their way closer to each other, trying to kiss Baekhyun around giggles and smiles when they finally connect. 

“Try again,” Baekhyun insists, feeding another piece of spaghetti into Jongdae’s mouth. “Be serious, it’s  _ romantic! _ ” 

“It’s funny!” Jongdae doubles over with giggles as the pasta breaks when Baekhyun laughs again. He presses a kiss to Jongdae’s lips anyways. 

“You don’t think this is the most romantic thing I’ve ever done for you?” Baekhyun teases, giving up and feeding a forkful of twirled up pasta, rich sauce, and bits of fresh crab meat to Jongdae. 

“It is.” Jongdae plays along, leaning against Baekhyun’s shoulder, staring out at the stars and the crescent of the moon, listening to the waves lap up onto the shore. “Oh, this is really good,” Jongdae murmurs, suddenly ravenous. “I think I like seafood a lot.” 

“I knew you would. You always like fish back at home. Fresh seafood is the best.” They finish dinner with more spaghetti kisses and Baekhyun’s jokes, then retire to bed where Baekhyun’s skilled hands firmly work the knots out of Jongdae’s shoulders and back. Jongdae sighs in comfort, burying his face into a pillow as the ache in his back subsides substantially. 

“Thank you, Baekkie,” he murmurs, twisting his head to the side so Baekhyun can hear him. 

“Of course.” Baekhyun rubs his thumbs firmly over the knot one more time before ducking under the covers next to Jongdae and pulling him closer to kiss him. “You still wanna ride with me tomorrow, too? You look so tired…” 

Jongdae hesitates. “I…” 

“You don’t have to, sweetheart.” 

“I want to, but I hurt.” 

“Then don’t, just rest. I’ll take you on the third day again.” 

“Can you just wake me up when you have to go, and I’ll see how I feel?” Jongdae’s already dozing off. 

Baekhyun presses a soft kiss to his forehead. “Alright.” 

\--

When Jongdae wakes up the next morning, Baekhyun’s already gone, a small note on the bedside table as his shoddy replacement. 

_ Didn’t want to wake you up. I’ll be back as soon as possible. You look so beautiful when you sleep. Kisses from Baekkie.  _

Jongdae smiles and slips the note into a pocket of his robes before moping around for the rest of the day in the castle’s small greenhouse and down by the sea. Baekhyun comes back only an hour or two after lunch as promised, the head start from yesterday having lessened his workload for today. Jongdae watches off to the side shyly as he slides off from his horse and rapidly discusses something with his knight, glancing over at Jongdae distractedly as he does so. Jongdae laughs and flushes as Baekhyun lets his jaw drop when he pretends to notice Jongdae for the first time, then saunters towards him with a sway in his hips and a smirk on his face, tousling his windswept hair for a glamorous effect. 

“Hello, cutie,” Baekhyun sweeps Jongdae up in his arms and coos as Jongdae brings his hands out from behind him and presents Baekhyun with a delicate spray of sea lavender and white geraniums. “For me? You’re too sweet.” Baekhyun’s eyes fill with adoration for his little prince. “C’mere, give me a kiss.” Jongdae tiptoes to fulfill his wish, tasting salt and sweat on Baekhyun’s lips. “Did you go in the water today? It’s warm enough to.” Jongdae shakes his head and Baekhyun’s eyes light up. “Let’s go change.” 

\--

Jongdae eyes his husband’s physique as he strips his thin kimono off, leaving him shirtless. Baekhyun notices and smirks. 

“It’s not your first rodeo, Jongdae-ah, but you’re still staring? Like what you see?” Jongdae blushes and looks away, stripping off his own robes and earning a wolf-whistle from Baekhyun. 

“Sexy. Okay, let’s go.” Baekhyun takes off with an excited yell into the water, Jongdae right on his heels. Jongdae gasps as a wave towers over him, diving under and coming up with a salty taste in his mouth. Baekhyun’s already swum out past the breaking waves. 

“There’s a sandbar!” he calls to Jongdae, which would explain why the water only comes up to his hips. Jongdae swims out to him and Baekhyun pulls Jongdae to his chest, tasting seawater as he slots his lips against Jongdae’s in the middle of the ocean. 

“How’d it go today?” Jongdae asks, bending down onto the shallow sandbar so only his face is above the water. Baekhyun mirrors him. 

“Finished quicker than I expected. Maybe because I wanted to come back to a special someone as fast as I could.” He finds Jongdae’s hand under the green water and intertwines their fingers together. “Feels good,” Baekhyun sighs happily as he floats on his back, closing his eyes and bobbing about in the waves. “The water’s so nice. I love summer.” 

“I like fall better, but this is nice, too.” Jongdae giggles as he splashes water onto an unsuspecting Baekhyun. 

“You little--” Baekhyun splutters and wipes his eyes, then dives straight for Jongdae with a mischievous grin. Jongdae’s heart feels as light as the wisps of clouds floating above him as Baekhyun splashes back, vibrant and laughing and every bit as content as Jongdae is. When they tire of playing in the water, they slowly make their way back to the shore, letting the waves wash them up onto the sand together. Baekhyun flops down onto the towel and pulls Jongdae to lay partially on his smooth, broad chest. Jongdae closes his eyes, letting the hot, salty mid-afternoon air, the sounds of seagulls crying out above him, and the crashing of waves onto the gritty sand wash over him. 

“Don’t look now,” Baekhyun murmurs after a while, “but we have an audience.” 

“Hmm?” Jongdae doesn’t open his eyes, still lost in his paradise. 

“Kyungsoo’s watching us take our nap, along with like, six of our advisors from the castle. I can see them on the balcony.” Baekhyun chuckles, unperturbed.

“Why?” Jongdae murmurs. Baekhyun’s hand traces his waist lazily. 

“Either to fawn over how adorably cute we are, as always, or to report back to father.” Baekhyun’s chest rises and falls with calm breaths. Jongdae turns his head to the side to listen to Baekhyun’s heartbeat, steady and strong. “It beats for you, sweetheart.” Baekhyun chuckles again. 

“How’d you know I was listening to your heart?” 

“I know you.” Baekhyun’s hand comes up to play with Jongdae’s wet hair. “Should we give them a show?” 

“What kind of show?” 

“Dunno. We could make out?” 

“With Soo watching us?” 

“Why not?” Jongdae’s eyes finally open, and he squints against the suddenly blinding sun. He giggles and laps up a drop of seawater from Baekhyun’s chest playfully, and Baekhyun jumps in surprise. “Holy shit, don’t do that. I’m gonna get hard.” 

“You’re… you’re really hot with water on you,” Jongdae tells him shyly, and even though he can’t see Baekhyun’s face while lying on his chest, he can practically see his smirk. 

“How so?” he inquires innocently, but with the absolute worst of intentions. Jongdae screws his eyes shut in embarrassment. 

“Just--like--your hair gets all wet and it hangs in your eyes and I… you… you’re like, all shiny and glittering in the sun… ah wae? Why do I need to explain?” Jongdae whines as Baekhyun laughs hard, his chest heaving with his hysterics. Jongdae sits up and pouts at Baekhyun as he breaks down into tears of glee. 

“Oh my god,” Baekhyun chokes out, rolling around on the towel. “You’re so  _ fucking  _ cute.” He sits up as well, abs rippling even with the easiest of movements, and smirks when Jongdae glances at them again. “I saw that,” he singsongs as Jongdae butts his head against Baekhyun’s shoulder. 

“Stop teasing,” Jongdae whines, and Baekhyun’s arm wraps around him again. 

“I just said you’re cute, sweetheart. I’m glad you find me so irresistible.” Baekhyun sniggers before glancing towards the castle. Jongdae does, too, and sure enough, a few distant specks stand on the balcony of the castle’s tower. 

“What’s there to watch? They can barely see us,” Jongdae wonders aloud. 

“I think it’s just cute to them. Nobody ever expects an arranged marriage to work out as well as we did. Maybe they also wanna make sure we’re not just faking it, too. I know in the beginning father was really worried about us putting up a front, but he relaxed a little more after the, uh, the incident in the woods.” Jongdae blushes at the memory. 

“It is kind of weird,” Jongdae admits, more to himself than anyone else. 

“What is?” 

“That we worked out so well.” 

“Our parents thought about it a lot. And we took the time to get to know each other, almost as if we were dating. It’s not weird at all, Dae. Many people arrange marriages for political tensions, but our kingdoms are highly peaceful. Plus, we started off on the right foot.” Baekhyun pulls Jongdae into his chest. “I’m so happy now,” he murmurs into Jongdae’s neck. “And so thankful.” 

Jongdae smiles contentedly as well. “Me, too,” he breathes. They sit in a comfortable silence, solely focused on each other’s company until Baekhyun shifts slightly. 

“Well, seeing as we’ve already started,” Baekhyun declares after a minute of sentiment. “The show must go on.” 

“Wha--mph!” Jongdae melts into Baekhyun’s strong arms as they pull him down on top of Baekhyun, kicking up sand as he’s upended horizontally. When Jongdae’s lips meet Baekhyun’s, all he knows is his husband--his arms around Jongdae’s waist, his slow, relaxed breathing but frantic heartbeat, his tanned, sun-kissed skin pressed up against Jongdae, and how he kisses Jongdae so sweetly, so gently, but with so much fiery passion and love that Jongdae loses himself in the intimacy and safety of Baekhyun, even though they’re out in the open, being watched by people. When they finally break apart, both of them don’t even bother looking towards the castle to see if anyone’s still watching. It doesn’t matter. 

—

When Jongdae wakes up, it’s back in the soft sheets of their shared bedroom, and the skyline is already dimming as dusk approaches. He looks around confusedly, still dressed in his swimming trunks, which are now dry. Upon glancing up, he notices the balcony door is open and a familiar figure stands in casual blue robes, staring out at the impending sunset. Jongdae quietly slides out of bed and slips out onto the wooden terrace. He carefully wraps his arms around Baekhyun, who startles suddenly, but doesn’t turn around. 

“You woke up in time for the sunset,” Baekhyun remarks, still gazing out at the skyline as Jongdae steps next to him. From this vantage point, they’re pretty much eye-level with the horizon. When the sun touches the rim of the water, the ocean’s ripples turn orange as the sky blossoms into a multitude of colors, painted across the horizon with nothing to block the view. 

“Wow,” Jongdae murmurs, gazing reverently at the beautiful scene in front of him. 

“Wow,” Baekhyun echoes, but he’s staring at Jongdae now. The younger doesn’t notice until the sun dips down below the line of water, leaving a faintly purple hue streaked across the sky. 

“How was your nap?” Baekhyun asks, cupping Jongdae’s cheek ever so gently. Jongdae curls into his touch, smiling up at him preciously. “My little prince.” 

“I slept really well,” Jongdae answers. “D’you carry me back?”

“Yep. Surprised you didn’t wake up at all.” Baekhyun chuckles softly, carding his fingers through Jongdae’s tangled hair, stiff with salt. “Soaking up the sunlight really helps with sleep though. And I must’ve tired you out yesterday.” Jongdae nods in agreement and reaches up for Baekhyun, slotting his lips against the elder’s with a contented sigh. Baekhyun lets him lead, patiently opening his mouth to let Jongdae swirl his tongue against the roof of Baekhyun’s mouth and suck on his bottom lip shyly. Even in a position of dominance, Jongdae is docile and benevolent. 

“What do I taste like?” Baekhyun asks when they pull apart. Jongdae considers. 

“I don’t know. Maybe… maybe cinnamon? You taste good, though.” Jongdae flushes pink. 

Baekhyun considers this for a moment. “I think…” he begins slowly, “I think you should try some more until you figure it out.” Jongdae yelps in surprise as he gets swept off of his feet and carried right back to the king-sized bed, blushing when Baekhyun flops down and deposits Jongdae on top of him, smirking cutely. 

“Have at it, baby.” Jongdae giggles at Baekhyun’s kissy face before pressing their lips together again gently. With the bedroom door closed and nothing to distract him, Jongdae loses himself in Baekhyun’s presence, slowly tasting him on his tongue, his hands traveling down to pull at the white sash of his robes and letting them fall apart to reveal his perfectly chiseled chest and abs as Jongdae kisses him almost bashfully. Baekhyun is warm and steady all over, returning Jongdae’s touches with strokes of Jongdae’s hair, light fingertips trailing on his back, a firm hand wrapped around Jongdae’s waist to keep him pressed close to Baekhyun’s chest as Jongdae’s legs fall on either side of Baekhyun’s hips. Safety. Jongdae feels so secure and content as Baekhyun slowly begins kissing him back with more force, moving his lips against Jongdae’s in a rhythm unique to them as Jongdae subtly grinds his hips up against Baekhyun, perhaps unconsciously. Baekhyun doesn’t pull away until Jongdae does first, slightly out of breath, lips swollen and bright red. 

“So?” Baekhyun asks, panting a little. 

“You taste like… like cinnamon and a little bit of fresh-picked apples I think. You’re sweet and you smell really good too, and you’re really comfortable and warm,” Jongdae murmurs into Baekhyun’s collarbone. “I don’t wanna move.” 

“Then don’t,” Baekhyun whispers tenderly, stroking Jongdae’s hair slowly. “I’ll never let you go.” 

—

“I’ve been looking forward to today,” Jongdae murmurs to Baekhyun the next morning as he gets dressed. Jongdae’s perched on the edge of the bed, already dressed in royal blue with gold lining. “I can’t wait to meet the townspeople.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be my shy little prince?” Baekhyun teases as he slips his robes on in front of the mirror and parts his hair the way he likes it. 

“But I love my people,” Jongdae answers simply. “I’d do anything to ensure their happiness and wellbeing.” 

Baekhyun finishes getting dressed and walks over to him, gently cupping his cheek in reverence. “As a true prince should. You’re a beautiful kind of royalty, my prince Jongdae--a kind, handsome, able-bodied Highness that every kingdom should covet.” Baekhyun’s hand drops to Jongdae’s and he brings it up to his lips to kiss the back of the small, white hand delicately. 

“Your people love you and His Majesty as well, though,” Jongdae argues, but his eyes light up with the high praise. “You were always respected by my father in my land, even when I didn’t know you.” 

“Of course,” Baekhyun returns graciously. “But that’s not to say that you are not part of this kingdom, my prince.” He kisses Jongdae again, this time sweetly on the lips. “You’re mine now,” he murmurs tenderly, “my one and only. And as such, treat this kingdom as yours as well. The people love you already.” 

“Do they?” Jongdae’s brows furrow together worriedly. 

“They do,” Baekhyun reassures him with a steady hand as they make their way down for breakfast. “They write to me all the time, Jongdae-ah, telling me about how lucky they feel to be able to call you their Highness, how cute we are, how they want to meet you. Don’t worry, sweetheart.” Jongdae exhales shakily, passing a smile to Kyungsoo as he bows to the couple. 

“Pancakes?” Jongdae brightens as Kyungsoo sets a small stack of fluffy, golden brown discs in front of him, topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. “Thank you, Soo.” 

“Have you been having fun?” Jongdae chokes on his first bite as Kyungsoo eyes his neck knowingly. “Lots of exploring to do? Uncharted territory, perhaps?” 

“I get it, I get it.” Jongdae blushes a deep red and claps a hand embarrassedly to the red marks. Baekhyun merely pulls him in by the waist and smirks. 

“I’m just teasing. You two get along well, and I like seeing you so happy, Your Highness.” Jongdae winces at the formality, but Kyungsoo insists on it whenever Baekhyun is around. “Your vacation is mine, too. Less people to cook for, and it’s been nice to get out to the seaside.” 

“It’s peaceful,” Baekhyun pitches into the conversation, and Kyungsoo nods in agreement. 

“Wish we didn’t have to leave, honestly. I love this trip every year.” 

“Are we leaving tonight, or…?” Jongdae glances to Baekhyun, who wipes a spot of whipped cream off of Jongdae’s lips with a napkin. 

“Yep. We’ll get back around mid-afternoon, but I want to spend the rest of the day with you. Then we’ll have some dinner and be on our way home. Should arrive a little after midnight.” Baekhyun cuts a fluffy slice of pancake and spears it on his fork, holding it out to Jongdae. “Eat, sweetheart. It’s a long day today.” 

“Alright.” Kyungsoo bows again. “I’ll leave you two now. Good luck with things today!” 

“Thanks, Soo.” Jongdae waves him off as Baekhyun does as well, surprised when Kyungsoo turns around. 

“Oh, Prince Jongdae. Make sure you cover those before you appear in public.” Kyungsoo laughs as Jongdae turns red again.

“I still don’t know how you made friends with our head chef,” Baekhyun remarks.

“You were busy that day, and I was in the kitchen for some reason. We, uh… we struck up a conversation? I forgot. He was nice to me.” Jongdae quickly finishes the rest of his plate. “Are we going?” 

“Yep.” 

\--

Whenever Jongdae, Baekhyun, or any other royalty makes public appearances, there’s always a thick crowd of people, clamoring to see their leaders. As a young boy, Jongdae had been trained not only how to rule and handle internal politics, but also address the public eye; love your people, for without them you wouldn’t have your title. Smile and wave, even when you’re exhausted. Lower your head when faced with jealousy or malice, but accept criticism and complaint graciously. For Jongdae, his training didn’t serve to put on a mask towards the public, but more so a way for him to learn how to embrace the people who were willing to support his decisions for an entire kingdom. His public persona wasn’t really an act—just as Jongdae had slowly opened up his heart towards Baekhyun, he had also learned how to be perfectly comfortable in front of crowds.

Today is no exception; Jongdae puts on his shy, endearing smile as guards march in front of their horses to clear a path for them. He waves and blows kisses to the townspeople whose eyes reflect their awe and adoration for him, and feels his heart swoop in his chest as a little girl boldly approaches his horse, holding out a pretty bouquet of delicate yellow daffodils. Apparently word had gotten out around the kingdom that Prince Baekhyun’s husband, The Gentle Prince, Jongdae of Elyxion, loved daffodils, long walks in gardens, and beautiful orange sunsets. Jongdae glances over at Baekhyun, who’s busy waving to the crowd next to him. 

“Baek,” Jongdae calls, and Baekhyun’s attention turns immediately to him, glancing at him worriedly for any semblance of discomfort. “Stop for a second,” Jongdae requests as he dismounts and kneels down to eye level in front of the little girl to accept the flowers.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he coos to her, and she smiles shyly to run back and clutch her mother’s robes. Jongdae glances up at the mother who bows deeply in respect. Jongdae, in turn, tilts his head and takes her hand to brush the softest of kisses across the back of it gallantly. The crowd murmurs in jealousy and adoration around him. 

“His Highness needn’t--” the woman begins, looking taken aback, but Jongdae gently shakes his head. 

“Of course I should, madame. Your little girl is beautiful. What’s her name?” 

“Serim.” The woman gently urges Serim out from behind her skirts. “Go on, bow to your prince.”

“It’s completely unnecessary,” Jongdae insists as he kneels down again to take the little girl’s hand and kisses it as well. Serim giggles and Jongdae finds himself smiling widely as well. “Serim, will you give me a kiss?” He taps the side of his cheek lightly. The crowd coos as Serim shyly approaches him and pecks him quickly on the cheek before running back to her mother who bows again, looking close to tears. 

“Don’t cry,” Jongdae comforts her. “Are you happy?” 

“Of course.” The woman nods quickly. “We’re so grateful for Your Highness, that you treat us just like you treat your own people.” Jongdae nods as Baekhyun’s words from this morning echo in his head. 

“You are my people now as well,” Jongdae tells the woman. “I promise to take care of you all.” Clutching the flowers tightly in his hand, he mounts his horse again and waves good-bye. “Be safe, madame.” He turns to Baekhyun, who signals for the guards to continue marching. Baekhyun smiles affectionately as Jongdae holds out a daffodil towards him. A simple glance at his husband, and Jongdae reads the love and adoration written all over his face.

\-- 

“My father chose the right prince,” Baekhyun breathes later that afternoon as they lie lazily in bed together, having just woken up from a drowsy nap—the kind where neither party completely falls asleep, but simply indulges in the feeling of being wrapped around each other without need for dialogue. The opaque white curtains flutter gently from the breeze that flows into the bedroom from the open balcony door. “You’re so kind, so handsome, so sweet. Who wouldn’t support you?” 

“Many people.” Jongdae answers honestly. “I get lots of hate letters, Hyunnie, same as you.”

Baekhyun heaves a deep sigh as he pulls Jongdae into his bare chest, both of them having stripped down to only their thin linen pants because of how hot it is. “It’s the nature of the title, I suppose. We can’t please everybody. Do you just ignore them, or…?” 

“Most of the time. My advisors have always tried to filter them out from my mailbox before I got them. I used to get really affected by them, and I cried a lot, so father tried to shelter me. They don’t bother me as much anymore, though.” 

Baekhyun drops a gentle kiss onto his head. “I burn mine.” That elicits a small chuckle from Jongdae. 

“You would, Baekkie.” 

“It does sound like me, doesn’t it?” Baekhyun pets lazily down Jongdae’s side, to his waist, then back up again. “But really, don’t listen to it sweetheart. Hate is hate--people get jealous, and they will always criticize--” 

“--without knowing how difficult it is to be in our position.” Jongdae finishes his sentence easily. “I know. I had fun today, anyways.” 

“You look so cute with children,” Baekhyun murmurs. “I--I want kids with you now.” Is it just Jongdae, or is there a hint of pink dusting his husband’s cheeks? 

“I love children,” Jongdae muses. “They’re so innocent and cute.” He looks up at Baekhyun, who tucks his chin into his chest to meet Jongdae’s eyes. “You really want to try for a child?” 

“Well--I mean--yeah, kind of.” Baekhyun’s definitely blushing now. “I think you’d be a cute da-dae, if you get my drift.” Jongdae rolls his eyes. 

“Maybe in like a few years…” Jongdae reaches up to kiss Baekhyun. “I wanna have fun now.” 

“I won’t say no to that, sweetheart,” Baekhyun’s hands drift lower to Jongdae’s hips and he takes over the kiss. Jongdae senses the sudden change in atmosphere and his breathing evens out, becoming slow and anticipating as Baekhyun braces himself above Jongdae and grinds down. 

“Baek-hyunnie,” Jongdae keens in between kisses, hands needily grabbing at Baekhyun’s waist. “I want you.” 

“My love,” Baekhyun’s reply is just as needy, but accented with a hint of heavy sultriness, or perhaps a domineering confidence that Jongdae lacks. “My Jongdae.” He palms Jongdae through the thin linen, earning a quiet ‘oh’ from the younger. 

“You don’t have to hold back,” Jongdae tells Baekhyun as he reaches for Baekhyun’s half-hard erection as well. “You… you can be a little mean.” He blushes as Baekhyun’s heart skips a beat in shock. Baekhyun quickly composes his face, staring hard at Jongdae through thick lashes and hooded eyelids. 

“You like it when I take you hard? When I slam into you, make you moan my name prettily, make you beg for me to ruin you?” Jongdae whimpers as need, hot and heavy, pools into his gut. 

“Yes,” he whispers, looking up at Baekhyun shyly. 

“Yes what?” 

“Yes, please.” 

“Good boy.” Baekhyun quickly relieves himself of his slacks. “Come here,” he commands, and Jongdae feels goosebumps erupt across his skin _.  _ “Suck.” Jongdae obediently sucks lightly on the tip of Baekhyun’s cock before taking more in his mouth. He doesn’t mind that Baekhyun’s only half-hard, loves feeling him grow in his mouth as Jongdae delivers firm, perfect suction with each pull up as he bobs his head up and down. As far as blowjobs go, Jongdae quickly learned what made Baekhyun’s breath hitch, and he loves the feeling of Baekhyun falling apart from his mouth. Jongdae’s head clouds with want as Baekhyun’s hands curl into his hair and push him down onto his cock, forcing Jongdae to take more in his mouth as Baekhyun thrusts upwards into the wet warmth. 

“You’re so needy, letting me fuck your mouth like this,” Baekhyun taunts him. Jongdae feels tears prick in the corners of his eyes as he fights his gag reflex, barely registering Baekhyun’s words. “I should just keep you in my study when we get back, on your knees under my desk, so that you can just keep my cock warm with your little mouth. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jongdae moans around Baekhyun, earning a surprised gasp from the elder. Baekhyun pulls Jongdae off to save himself, and Jongdae whimpers needily. Baekhyun smirks. 

“Be patient,” he places a finger on Jongdae’s swollen lips. “Tell me what you need.” 

“I,” Jongdae shivers when Baekhyun traces his chest, pinches his nipples lightly. “I need you inside of me. Take me. Please,” he adds as Baekhyun doesn’t move. “I want you.”

“So, so pretty,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath. “Hands and knees, sweetheart.” Jongdae obeys instantly and Baekhyun smirks again as he fingers him slowly, making sure Jongdae is stretched out enough to take Baekhyun. Jongdae whimpers as Baekhyun hits his prostate and rubs a strange pattern around it. 

“I’m writing my name, Jongdae-ah,” Baekhyun hisses into Jongdae’s ear. Jongdae’s mouth goes slack as he moans. “You’re mine, mine forever.” 

“Yours,” Jongdae answers automatically. “Please, please give it to me, I can take it,” he begs, pushing back onto Baekhyun’s three fingers. “Please.” 

“Say, ‘I need your cock, Baekhyunnie.’ In that cute way you say my name.” Jongdae balks at the lewd request and his cheeks heat up in shame, but Baekhyun interlaces his fingers with Jongdae’s as a small symbol of encouragement. 

“I-I need your cock, Baek-Baek-hyunnie.” Jongdae moans as Baekhyun presses harder at his prostate, then removes his fingers to replace them with his cock. 

“So good for me,” Baekhyun purrs in satisfaction, rubbing his hard member against Jongdae’s entrance. Jongdae shakes in anticipation, whining in confusion as Baekhyun only presses lightly but doesn’t push in. 

“Baekkie,” he whispers desperately, and Baekhyun chuckles low and sensual before finally breaching Jongdae. Jongdae gasps in sensitivity as Baekhyun fills him up, only pausing a minute to let Jongdae adjust before slamming hard into him. Jongdae lets out a stream of moans and whimpers as Baekhyun fucks him hard into the mattress. 

“That’s it,” Baekhyun growls, a possessive hand on Jongdae’s waist. “Moan for me, baby, let the whole castle hear how good I fuck you.” 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae gasps. “Baek-hyunnie, don’t stop.” He grips the sheets tightly to keep himself grounded as Baekhyun thrusts relentlessly into him, hitting his sweet spot dead-on, pooling pressure and pleasure into his gut. 

“M’close,” Jongdae moans. “Please, please, let me come, Baekkie.” 

“Should I?” Baekhyun muses, even though the heady pleasure is building in his own gut as well from thrusting into Jongdae and from his pretty, needy pleading that turns Baekhyun on like nothing else. “What if I make you beg some more?” 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae sobs out without further prompting, “Please, you feel so good in me, please, please let me come, I can’t hold it.” He gasps as Baekhyun thrusts into his sweet spot then grinds his hips inwards, pressing deeper into Jongdae. “Baekhyun, I--” 

“Come for me, sweetheart, so pretty, so needy,” Baekhyun gasps as Jongdae clenches around him and reaches his own climax as well, his grunts and gasps mixing with Jongdae’s sweet moans. Baekhyun pulls out tiredly, slumping into the bed and carefully placing Jongdae into his arms. Jongdae’s trembling slightly, almost afraid to touch or be touched by Baekhyun, but Baekhyun treats him as if he’s made of threads of silk, rubbing his back comfortingly, dropping the sweetest of kisses onto his sweaty forehead and brushing the damp strands of ebony hair back. 

“You did so well, sweetheart,” he coos to Jongdae, who looks on the verge of tears from the demeaning treatment. “You’re so good for me, you know that? I love you so much. Thank you for letting me do that. I love you. I love you.” He repeats the words like a mantra, feeling them resonate in his chest everytime, and they seem to wash over Jongdae like a weighted blanket as he slowly relaxes in Baekhyun’s arms. “My little prince, I’ll never love anyone else,” Baekhyun murmurs softly. “You okay, sweetheart?” 

“I don’t know if I can do that everytime--” Jongdae immediately begins to apologize, but Baekhyun shuts him down immediately. 

“We absolutely don’t have to, we don’t even have to do it again if you didn’t like it. You’re so good to me, Jongdae-ah, I love you. We’ll never do anything you’re not comfortable with.” 

“I--I liked it.” Jongdae blushes. “But I also like regular, comfortable sex, too.” 

“Of course,” Baekhyun murmurs, warmth spreading in his chest at Jongdae’s words. “I don’t want to be this rough towards you every time either. I love you,” he nuzzles into Jongdae’s hair, “I want to make love to you, to hold you close. But thank you for letting me do this as well.” 

“I just… I want to make you happy,” Jongdae whispers, hesitantly uncurling his fist from where it lay against his own chest to wrap around Baekhyun’s bare chest. 

“ _ You  _ make me happy, sweetheart, no matter what. Remember? I never, ever need sex from you to be satisfied. I only need you.” Jongdae sighs happily at Baekhyun’s words. “You okay to take a quick shower?” 

“Can we take a walk afterwards?” 

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” 

\--

“Seashells,” Jongdae murmurs to Baekhyun, who has a linen tote bag draped over one shoulder. 

“You want a souvenir? Let’s walk this way then.” Baekhyun intertwines their fingers together as they walk along the shore, just far enough from the water so that only Jongdae’s ankles get wet from time to time as little waves lap up onto the sand. “Here.” Large, smooth cobblestone-like rocks cover a good part of the beach and Jongdae furrows his brows in confusion. 

“Why does it look like this?” 

“It’s just my guess, but there’s a jagged line of cliff this way that my father and I don’t bother checking because it’s too unstable and dangerous. It’s also pretty close to the western border anyways, and nobody lives off to this side. But what I think happens is that the cliff breaks off sometimes, and the waves wash the stones all smooth.” Baekhyun stoops down to pick out a large, flat shell and holds it out for Jongdae, “I always find pretty seashells here.” Baekhyun watches as Jongdae slowly picks his way through the sand and rocks to collect a handful of pretty shells before returning back to Baekhyun and holding them out for him to see. 

“Here--” Baekhyun unfurls the towel in his tote bag, weighing the corners down with smooth rocks before taking a seat. “Let’s see what you found.” Jongdae curls up next to him, carefully spilling the shells out onto the towel. 

“This one is pretty,” Jongdae points to a blue-green translucent piece. “It doesn’t look like a shell?” 

“It’s not, it’s sea glass. A bit of glass that’s been smoothed by the ocean. You can make jewelry out of it.” Baekhyun picks it up, smoothing his thumb for the surface. “If you want, I’ll ask someone to make it into a pretty bracelet for you.” 

“Can you?”

“Of course.” Baekhyun carefully tucks the piece into Jongdae’s breast pocket. “Let’s put these in a little glass bottle for you as well.” Jongdae nods eagerly and places the shells into Baekhyun’s bag. “Sunset,” Baekhyun prompts Jongdae to look out at the sky. 

“I didn’t even realize it was getting dark already,” Jongdae murmurs as Baekhyun cuddles him into his side. “Our last beach sunset.” 

“Until next year,” Baekhyun corrects him, and Jongdae’s face lights up as the sky does as well with streaks of orange and red. 

“We can come again?” Baekhyun laughs at the naivety of Jongdae’s question. 

“Sweetheart, we can come back anytime we want. But we have to go back to work, right?” He nuzzles Jongdae’s neck affectionately. “D’you have fun?” 

“It was lots of fun,” Jongdae sighs happily as the brilliance of the sky fades out. “Thank you for taking me, Baekhyunnie.” He tilts his face upwards just as Baekhyun leans down, then stops just before touching Jongdae’s lips. Jongdae doesn’t move, feeling butterflies stir in his stomach just like that night when he and Baekhyun had shared their first kiss under the moon. Baekhyun’s gazing at him again; that hard, piercing look he gets when he’s trying to figure something out. 

“What is it?” Jongdae asks after a moment. Baekhyun swallows hard. 

“Why do you look so beautiful?” he whispers, bringing a hand up to cup Jongdae’s cheek. Distantly, Jongdae hears the crashing of waves upon smooth rock. The sky rapidly turns darker, but Baekhyun doesn’t even notice, too fixated on his lover who stares up at him with stars in his eyes. Surrounded by rocky cliffs and the vast expanse of sand, the two princes curl up around each other intimately, lost in their own world. 

“Because I am with you.” Jongdae reaches up and connects their lips. “I love you.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~ So thank you to all of you who sent me support and enthusiastically agreed to a oneshot in the AU? I was so excited and happy to see that so many people loved the story ^_^ XOXO, you guys are so so so so sweet and I love you all <3 I really hope that you guys enjoyed the oneshot and it met your expectations >< Let me know if you guys enjoyed it!  
> -  
> Also Arane is... a god-tier editor, because in total the finished oneshot was about twenty pages, but she managed to get it done on top of everything else I've been writing ;) so she's absolutely amazing but wbk >< Thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments (constructive, thoughts, anything) always appreciated! <3


End file.
